"A soldier," answered Adolphus, drawing his sword from its sheath and instead of directing it against his rival, laying it haughtily on the table. "A soldier who has bled for his country, and would be happy," he added, "to die for it." "Say you so?" said Ericson, "then we are friends." He held out his hand. "We are rivals," replied Adolphus, drawing back. "Christina loves you, then?" enquired the Count. "She has told me so; and I was foolish enough to believe her. It is now your turn to trust to the truth of a heartless woman.--She has told you you are not an object of indifference to her, and I resign my pretensions in your favour." "In whose favour?" cried Christina, trembling; while tears sprang to her eyes. "The King's!" replied Adolphus, retiring sorrowfully. Christina sank on a seat, and covered her face with her hands. "Stay," cried Charles the Twelfth in a voice of thunder; "stay, I command you." The young man obeyed; biting his lip to conceal his emotion, till the blood came. "I have seen you," said the King, "but not in this house." "It was shut against me by my uncle when you were expected," said Adolphus. "And yet I have seen you somewhere. What is your name?" "Adolphus Hesse; the son of a brave officer who died fighting for you, and leaving me his misfortunes and the tears of his widow." "Who told you I was not Count Ericson?" "My eyes. I know you well." "And I recollect you also," said Charles, advancing to the young man with a manner very different from that which characterized him in his intercourse with the softer sex. "Where did you get that scar on the left temple?" "At Nerva, sire, where we tamed the pride of the Russians." "True, true!" cried Charles, his nostrils dilated as if he snuffed up the carnage of the battle. "You need but this as your passport," he continued, placing his finger on the wound, "to ask me any favour, ay, even to measure swords with you, as I daresay you would be delighted to do in so noble a quarrel as the present; for on the day of that glorious fight, I learned, like you, the duty of a soldier, and the true dignity of a brave man. By the balls that rattled about our heads so playfully, give me your hand, brother, for we were baptized together in fire!" Charles appeared to Christina, at this time, quite a different man addressing his fellow soldier, from what he had done upsetting the chess-board. Curiosity had dried her eyes, and she lost not a word of the conversation. The King turned to her with a smile. "By my sword, Christina! I am but a poor wooer; one movement of your hand," and he touched his ear playfully as he spoke, "has banished all the silly thoughts that in a most traitorous manner had taken my heart prisoner. Speak, then, as forcibly as you act. Do you love this brave soldier?" "Yes, sire." "Who hinders the marriage?" "The courtship of Count Ericson, with which my father perpetually threatens me."