Rietz, who had remained in the antechamber, now entered and approached the king. "Your majesty, his royal highness the prince royal and Prince Louis have this moment arrived, and beg permission to tender their congratulations." "Conduct the prince to the concert-hall," said the king, "I will join him there directly.--And Lieutenant-Colonel Bischofswerder?" "Your majesty, he accompanied the prince royal." The king bowed graciously. The word "majesty" sounded like sweet music in his ear, and drowned the wail of grief for the departed. Bestowing a kindly smile upon the assembled court, the king left the audience-chamber in order to repair to the concert-hall, where the two princes awaited him. Rietz went in advance, and, as he threw open the door of the concert-hall, cried in a loud voice, "His majesty the king!" The two princes hastened forward, and pressed their father's extended hand to their lips. "I take the liberty of tendering to my royal father my most humble congratulations." The prince uttered these words in a stiff and declamatory manner, merely repeating them as they had been taught him by his tutor, Professor Behnisch. "I beg that your majesty will accord me your favor, and I assure my royal father that he will always find in me an affectionate son and his most obedient subject." The king's countenance darkened as he gazed upon the prince, who would one day be his successor. Prince royal! An unpleasant word, truly; a gloomy and constant reminder of approaching death!--the prince royal, who is only waiting to be king, who, like the shadow of death, is ever at the monarch's side, reminding him of approaching dissolution. To love one's successor is certainly a hard task; but his existence may, at least, be forgiven, when he is the son of a loved wife, when the father loves his child. But when the prince royal is the fruit of a marriage of convenience, the son of an unloved wife--when the king has another and a cherished son, whose mother he has passionately loved!--Ah, how differently would this son have received his father! He would have thrown himself into his father's arms, and would have hugged and kissed him. "Oh, my dear son Alexander, why are you not my successor? Why must you remain at a distance? why are you not permitted to stand at my side in this great hour? But all this shall be changed! My Alexander shall no longer remain in obscurity--no, he shall not!" With his two sons the king had only exchanged a few words of ceremony. He responded but coldly to the formal congratulation of the prince royal; and replied with a mute gesture only to the embarrassed and stammering words of Prince Louis. "And now go, my princes," said he; "go and look at the body of your great uncle, and impress the solemn scene upon your minds, that you may never forget it!"