"I cannot express to your majesty the gratitude I feel," he said; "may I have the opportunity of proving it by my deeds!" And he left the cabinet. "Has your majesty any commands for me?" asked Count Wedel. "Did the queen give you no commission to me?" asked the king in a penetrating voice. "Commission?" said the count, "no, only to deliver the letters which I have had the honour of presenting to your majesty, but--" "But?" asked the king anxiously. "I perceived," said the count, "that the queen ardently wishes your majesty could follow the advice given you by so many well-wishers, and--" "And that I should abdicate?" said the king passionately. "Her majesty believes that thus the crown would be preserved in the royal family," said the count, "and she regrets that your majesty does not seize upon this sad and deplorable means of safety; the queen thinks you might still be in time; but that your majesty is withheld by those around you." "And what do you think? I wish to hear your honest opinion," asked King George. "Your majesty," said Count Wedel slowly, "is convinced of my entire devotion to your person; but since you ask the question, I must reply uprightly and honestly, that if by your majesty's abdication the crown could be saved for the house of Guelph--" "_If_ it could!" said the king earnestly. He came a few steps nearer, feeling his way with his hand, and seized the count's arm. "I wish," he said, "that this point should be perfectly plain to you; for no accusation could pain me more, than that I had sacrificed the future of my family to my personal inclinations. I do not know by whom, or with what views the queen and the country have been told that my abdication would preserve the independence of Hanover, and prevent her annexation to Prussia; that it is only with me that Prussia refuses to conclude peace; I will not try to discover what motives have induced various persons to speak in this manner." "Counts Münster, Windthorst," said Count Wedel, "they certainly hope to be all-powerful ministers under the rule of the crown prince." "No matter who it is," proceeded the king; "I can understand how the queen, how several of the most important members of my family, may credit these assurances; only it hurts me to think that they can believe I should not long ago have seized upon this means of saving the crown, if it would have saved it. When this opinion was urged upon me from every side; when the queen telegraphed begging me to abdicate," continued the king more slowly, "I determined to take a step which should make my duty upon this point plain. If my abdication could preserve my crown for my descendants," he said with emphasis, "it was my duty to abdicate, if not, it was my duty to refuse all such propositions. I sent the minister for education, von Hodenburg, who was here, to Berlin, to ask Count Bismarck plainly, whether my abdication would preserve the crown for my son." "Ah!" exclaimed Count Wedel.