pressed the question he upon him, being determined to know who it he
had accosted at the masquerade. He asked the policemen. They stood with
heads uncovered, and told him they had orders to bring the watchman
instantly before the Minister of Police, for he had been singing wicked
verses, they had heard some of them; that the mask had given himself
out as some great lord of the court, but that they believed that to be
a false pretence, and therefore considered it their duty to take him
into custody.
"The man is not of the court," answered the Duke; "take my word for
that. He himself clandestinely into the ball, and himself off for
Prince Julian. I forced him to unmask, and detected the impostor, but
he escaped me. I have informed the Lord Chamberlain; off with him to
the palace! You have made a fine prize!"
With these words the Duke strode back to his carriage, and once more
urging them not to let the villains escape, gave orders to drive on.
The Prince saw no chance left. To reveal himself now would be to make
his night's adventures the talk of the whole city. He thought it better
to disclose his incognito to the Chamberlain or the Minister of Police.
"Since it must be so, come on then," he said; and the party marched
forward, keeping a firm hand on the two prisoners.
XIV.
Phipip was not sure whether he was bewitched, or whether the whole
business was not a dream, for it was a night such as he had never
passed before in his life. He had nothing to blame himself for except
that he had changed clothes with the Prince, and then, whether he would
or no, been forced to support his character. He felt pretty safe, for
it was the princely watchman who had been at fault, and he saw no
occasion for his being committed. His heart beat, however, when they
came to the palace. His coat, horn, and staff were taken from him.
Julian spoke a few words to a young nobleman, and immediately the
policemen were sent away. The Prince ascended the stairs, and Philip
had to follow.
"Fear nothing," said Julian, and left him. Philip was taken to a little
ante-room, where he had to wait a good while. At last one of the royal
grooms came to him, and said: "Come this way; the King will see you."
Philip was distracted with fear. His knees shook so that he could
hardly walk. He was led into a splendid chamber. The old King was
sitting at a table, and laughing long and load; near him stood Prince
Julian without a mask. Besides these, there was nobody in the room.
The King looked at Philip with a good-humored expression. "Tell me
all--without missing a syllable--that you have done to-night."
Philip took courage from the condescension of the old King, and told
the whole story from beginning to end. He had the good sense, however,
to conceal all he had heard among the courtiers that could turn to the
prejudice of the Prince. The King laughed again and again, and at last
took two gold-pieces from his pocket and gave them to Philip. "Here, my
son, take these, but say not a word of your night's adventures. Await
your trial; no harm shall cone of it to you. Now go, my friend, and
remember what I have told you."
Philip knelt down at the King's feet and kissed his hand as he
stammered some words of thanks. When he arose, and was leaving the
room, Prince Julian said: "I beseech your Majesty to allow the young
man to wait a few minutes outside. I have some compensation to make to
him for the inconvenience he has suffered."
The King, smiling, nodded his assent, and Philip left the apartment.
"Prince!" said the King, holding up his forefinger in a threatening
manner to his son, "'tis well for you that you told me nothing but the
truth. For this time I must pardon your wild scrape, but if such a
thing happens again you will offend me. There will be no excuse for
you! I must take Duke Herrman in hand myself. I shall not be sorry if
we can get quit of him. As to the Ministers of Finance and Police. I
must have further proofs of what you say. Go now, and give some present
to the gardener. He has shown more discretion in your character than
you have in his."
The Prince took leave of the King, and having changed his dress in an
ante-room, sent for Philip to go to his palace with him; there he made
him go over--word for word--everything that had occurred. When Philip
had finished his narrative, the Prince clapped him on the shoulder and
said: "Philip, listen! You're a sensible fellow. I can confide in you,
and I am satisfied with you. What you have done in my name with the
Chamberlain Pilzou, the Countess Bonau, the Marshal and his wife,
Colonel Kalt, and the Minister of Finance--I will maintain--as if I had
done it myself. But, on the other hand, YOU must take all the blame of
my doings with the horn and staff. As a penalty for verses, you shall
lose your office of watchman. You shall be my head-gardener from this
date, and have charge of my two gardens at Heimleben and Quellenthal.
The money I gave your bride she shall keep as her marriage
portion,--and I give you the order of Marshal Blankenswerd for five
thousand dollars, as a mark of my regard. Go, now; be faithful and
true!"
Who could be happier than Philip! He almost flew to Rose's house. She
had not yet gone to bed, but sat with her mother beside a table, and
was weeping. He threw the purse on the table and said: "Rose, there is
thy dowry! and here are five thousand dollars, which are mine! As a
watchman I have transgressed, and shall therefore lose my father's
situation; but the day after to-morrow I shall go, as head-gardener of
Prince Julian, to Heimleben. And you, mother and Rose, must go with me.
My father and mother also. I can support you all. Huzza! Gods send all
good people such a happy New Year!"
Mother Bittner hardly knew whether to believe Philip or not,
notwithstanding she saw the gold. But when he told her how it had all
happened--though with some reservations--she wept with joy, embraced
him, laid her her daughter on his breast, and then danced about the
room in a perfect ecstasy, "Do thy father and mother know this,
Philip?" she said. And when he answered no, she cried: "Rose, kindle
the fire, put over the water, and make some coffee for all of us." She
then wrapped herself in her little woollen shawl and left the house.
But Rose lay on Philip's breast, and forgot all about the wood and
water. And there she yet lay when Mother Bittner returned with old
Gottlieb and Mother Katharine. They surrounded their children and
blessed them. Mother Bittner saw if she wanted coffee, she would be
obliged to cook it herself.
Philip lost his situation as watchman. Rose became his wife in two
weeks; their parents went with them to--; but this does not belong to
the adventures of a New Year's Eve, a night more ruinous to the
Minister of Finance than any one else; neither have we heard of any
more pranks by the wild Prince Julian.
End of Project Gutenberg's Stories by Foreign Authors: German, by Various