"Count Platen!" announced the groom of the chambers. The king made a sign, and Count Platen entered. "Your majesty," he cried, "the Prussian Colonel von Döring has arrived as an envoy from Berlin, and brings a despatch from Count Bismarck; it appears that in Berlin they still wish to negotiate." "Let the colonel come immediately," said the king. General Brandis shrugged his shoulders and walked to the window. Count Platen returned with the Prussian staff-officer. "Colonel von Döring!" said the count, introducing him, whilst he approached the king with a stiff military salute; "he begs permission to read your majesty a despatch from the minister-president, Count Bismarck." "I am prepared to listen, colonel," replied the king. The colonel opened a paper which he held in his hand. "I must first remark to your majesty," he said, "that I consider myself freed from my charge, as I find negotiations are broken off, and General Vogel von Falckenstein already meditating an attack." "Your communication then will be useless?" asked the king coldly. "Nevertheless, if your majesty permits, I will carry out my orders." "Even yet----" began Count Platen. "Read, colonel," said the king. The colonel slowly read the despatch. It was an exact repetition of the ultimatum received through Prince Ysenburg on the 15th, and proposed a treaty on the foundation of the Prussian project of reform. "Does this man believe," cried the king, as the colonel ended, "that I shall now----" "Your majesty," said Colonel von Döring in a firm voice, "I humbly beg you graciously to consider that I, as a Prussian officer, cannot hear any derogatory expression applied to the minister-president." "Is he not a man like ourselves?" asked the king, with dignity. "Does Count Bismarck believe," he continued, "that I shall in the field, at the head of my army, accept conditions which I rejected in my cabinet at Herrenhausen, and that I shall now allow my army to march against Austria?" "Could not a short time be granted for consideration?" suggested Count Platen. "I have no orders for granting time," said Colonel von Döring. "And I do not need it," said the king, "in giving you my answer. It is the same as before; it is to these propositions simply 'No.' I have listened to negotiations in the hope of preventing useless bloodshed and diminishing the burdens of our countrymen, but upon this basis I cannot negotiate; events must take their course, I can do nothing more to restrain them. I thank you, colonel, and I wish I had made your acquaintance on a happier occasion. Take care, gentlemen," he added, turning to Count Platen and General Brandis, "that the colonel is led in safety to our outposts." Colonel von Döring made a military salute and left the king's room, accompanied by the two ministers.