"Then in your opinion, what is to be done?" asked the king, calmly and coldly. "Your majesty!" cried Arentschildt, "the general staff is unanimous in declaring a capitulation to be unavoidable." "Wherefore?" asked the king. "The general staff is of opinion that the army cannot march," cried the general; "besides, overwhelming forces are drawing up on every side; from the north the outposts have sent in word that General Manteuffel is surrounding us; in the south General Vogel von Falckenstein has collected troops from Eisenach, and has cut off the road to Gotha." "That would have been impossible had we marched on yesterday evening," said the king. "An advance was impossible, as the general staff declared!" cried General von Arentschildt. The king was silent. "Your majesty!" cried the general, striking his breast; "it is hard for me to say the word--capitulate! but there is nothing else to be done. I beg your majesty's permission to commence arrangements with General von Falckenstein." "I will send you my orders in an hour," said the king; "leave your adjutant here." And he turned away. The general left the room. "It must be so!" cried the king sorrowfully. "The blood of all these brave men has flowed in vain. In vain has been all the pain, the anguish, and the toil--and why in vain? Because my eyes are dark; because I cannot lead my valiant troops as my forefathers have done, as the brave Brunswick--oh! it is hard, very hard!" The king's face had a dark expression, he clenched his teeth, and raised his sightless eyes to heaven. Then the anger vanished from his countenance, peace took its place, a sorrowful but gentle smile came to his lips. He folded his hands, and said in a low tone: "My God and Saviour bore for me the crown of thorns; for me He shed His blood upon the cross. O Lord, not my will but Thine be done!" He touched the golden bell which had been brought from his cabinet at Herrenhausen. The groom of the chambers entered. "I beg Count Platen, General Brandis, Count Ingelheim, with Herr Lex and Herr Meding, to come to me at once." In a short time these gentlemen entered the room. "You know the position in which we are placed, gentlemen," said the king; "we are surrounded by the enemy in superior numbers, and the general in command declares that the troops cannot march from exhaustion, that they are without either provisions or ammunition. He considers a capitulation unavoidable. Before I decide, I wish to hear your views. What do you think, Count Ingelheim?" Gravely and with painful emotion, the Austrian ambassador replied: "It is most melancholy, your majesty, after such a day as yesterday to speak of capitulation; but if we are really surrounded by superior forces, brought up since yesterday evening," this he said with emphasis, "it would be a useless sacrifice of many brave soldiers to resist, and no one could thus advise your majesty." "If we could only send to Berlin," said Count Platen, "it might yet----"