She wished me to give her the letter I found, and I
sold it to her for two hundred Louis d'ors."
"You had not the letter, however, and could not receive the money?"
"Pardon, your majesty, I took the Louis d'ors, and then discovered
that I had lost the letter, I came to seek it."
The king laughed heartily, and said: "Pollnitz, Pollnitz, it is a
blessed thing for the world that you are not married; your boys
would be consummate rascals! Did you give Manteuffel the plan of the
campaign and the number of the troops?"
"Yes, sire, I did; and the baron was so charmed that he made me a
present of four thousand crowns! I took them, for appearance' sake;
your majesty must decide what I must do with them."
"Keep the reward of your iniquity, baron. You hare a superb talent
for thieving, and I would prefer you should practise it on the
Austrians to practising it on myself. Go now, and see that I find my
uniform in the cabinet."
The king mingled again with the crowd, and was not recognized, but
laughed and jested with them merrily as man to man.
CHAPTER XI.
REWARD AND PUNISHMENT.
Suddenly the king ceased his cheerful laughter and merry jests: he
had for the moment forgotten that he had any thing to do but amuse
himself; he had forgotten that he was here to judge and to punish.
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