"Well, you must leave within the hour and not come to me with 'my little wife,' or 'my grandmother.' An hour suffices for embracing all the grandmothers and all the wives in the world, all sisters and children into the bargain. The flags are in the ante-room there. Within the hour jump on the train on your way to Bohemia, and to-morrow you will be with the king at Sadowa. Here is your letter of introduction to His Majesty. Take it." Frederic took the letter and saluted, his heart full of joy; he had not had to ask for leave; as if the general had read, had known his dearest wish, he had offered it, and with it had done him a favour of which he had not dreamt. In two bounds he had reached Benedict. "My dear friend," he said, "I leave for Sadowa in an hour, but hesitate to say with what object." "Tell me all the same," said Benedict. "Well, I am taking the flags captured from the Austrians." "And you can take them without grieving me; for, if all Prussians were like yourself, I should have fought with them and not with the Hanoverians and Austrians," said Benedict. "Now go and say your adieux." He was still embracing his wife and little child, when the same soldier who had already been sent to him, called to ask him not to take the flags without exchanging a last word with the general. [1] Wait, wait a bit, cuckoo, Bonaparte is coming, who Soon will force you to restore All you stole from us before. CHAPTER XXX THE BREAKING OF THE STORM The general received Frederic with the same calm and gracious expression as before. "Excuse me for delaying," he said, "after I was so anxious to speed you; but I have a little service to ask." Frederic bowed. "It is about General Manteuffel's subsidy of twenty-five millions of florins. You know about it, don't you?" "Yes," said Frederic, "and it is a heavy impost for a poor city with some 40,000 inhabitants." "You mean 72,000," said Sturm. "No, there are only about 40,000 Frankfortians, the remainder of the 72,000 counted as natives are strangers." "What does that matter?" said Sturm, becoming impatient. "The statistics say 72,000 and General Manteuffel has made his calculation accordingly." "But if he has made an error, it seems to me that those who are charged with the execution of his order should point it out." "That is not our affair. We are told 72,000 inhabitants, and 72,000 there therefore are. We are told 25 million florins, and 25 million florins there are also. That is all! Just fancy! the senators have declared, that we can burn the town, but they will not pay the subsidy." "I was present," said Frederic quietly, "and the sitting was admirably conducted, with much dignity, calm, and sorrow."