"Your royal highness," replied Meding gravely, "the maxims I learnt and followed in the Prussian service, I will never deny. From following these maxims implicitly, I have now the honour of standing beside my king in his misfortunes. Circumstances,--my love and my duty to my royal master,--may make me the enemy of the land of my birth, but deny and scoff at it I never will." The crown prince was silent. "You are perfectly right," cried the king energetically. "You would be no true servant to me if you denied your former masters. Well, then, Herr von Manteuffel--?" "Herr von Manteuffel," continued Meding, "used to say, 'A good general thinks first of a retreat.' In the struggle which your majesty undertakes, I think anxiously of a retreat; and it appears to me unworthy of the Guelphs to continue to be landowners in the country where they wore the crown. An independent capital will be the basis of obtaining fresh possessions in a country which, after the loss of the throne of Hanover, opens a great and glorious future to princes of the house of Guelph--in England." "But shall we then give up all the possessions of our family, so full of remembrances?" cried the crown prince. "If his majesty recovers the crown of Hanover," said Meding, "he will also recover possession of the royal domains; if not, these remembrances can only be painful. I certainly believe, too," he added, "that Prussia will grant no domains without an express recognition of her sovereignty." The king was thoughtfully silent. "Your majesty," said Count Platen, "the remarks of Herr Meding are certainly worthy of attention. But the wish of his royal highness is also very right. We might reconcile these views, and demand a portion of your possessions in the domains--say a third part, especially in the capital." "That would place the whole negotiation on a difficult basis, and draw it out to a tremendous length," said Meding. "Let us seize this method of escaping from the difficulty," said the king. "What do you think, my dear Lex?" "I am quite of Count Platen's opinion," he replied. Meding was silent. "You still have some idea?" said the king, turning to him. "Your majesty," said Meding, "my second and most serious remark is upon the connection Count Platen is inclined to establish between the property and the release of the oath of fealty. Such a connection may be advantageous. I think, however, it would compromise your majesty's dignity." The king raised his head proudly.