“I should like to do something for Him, mother, if He is as good as the man said,” replied Gretchen. * * * * * That is the first part of the story. The next part came nearly a week later, when there was to be a great procession through the city. There were proclamations all over the city, saying that the “Kaiser Wilhelm,” their emperor, was to march through the streets, with his soldiers and guards in full uniform, and the drums were to beat, and the bugles were to blow, and the houses were to be decorated with flags, in honor of the procession. Our little _mädchen_ was, of course, in a flutter of delight about it, especially when she found they were to march down their street, and past their tenement-house, on the way to the Königstrasse. How delightful! She would see the great army of Germany, and the great Kaiser William, march by their door! When the eventful morning came, everything was bright and gay-looking, and the sidewalks were crowded with people who wished to see the procession. When the Van Cortlandts’ bed had been made, the breakfast dishes cleared away, and the two rooms nicely swept and dusted (for it is to be believed that if the Frau Van Cortlandt had known the end of the world was to come in an hour, she would not have delayed her morning’s work a moment) Gretchen and her mother were ready to watch and wait, with the remainder of the city. But alas, and alas. No view was to be had from their windows, because of the crowd outside, and no room could be found outside. No one would give up their place. How much Gretchen wished for the Herr Van Breyck, their only friend, who would take her in his strong arms, and find a place for her, but he was away at Frankfort, and what should she do? Suddenly she thought of the attic balcony! It was a little bit of a one, and would hold but one person. Gretchen’s mother could not go up the stairs, so she slipped up to the unoccupied garret, and out on the balcony, from which she could look down over the heads of the people, and see the Emperor and his troops, as nicely as she could wish. She was leaning lazily over the edge of the balcony when she chanced to see, in the middle of the road, a poor old woman, who was vainly trying to get a good place amid the crowd. Among those people there was little chance for her, and Gretchen pitied her. [Illustration: BERLIN: STATUE OF FREDERIC THE GREAT.]