Dreams never last, and sometimes they are rudely interrupted.
A hand was put upon his shoulder authoritatively.

The police officer who had examined his passports that morning stood at Grumbach's elbow.
"Herr Grumbach," he said quietly, "his excellency the chancellor has directed me to bring you at once to the palace." "To the palace ?" Grumbach's face was expressive of great astonishment.
The officer saw nothing out of the ordinary in this expression.

Any foreigner would have been seized with confusion under like circumstances.

"To the palace ?" Grumbach repeated.

"My passports were wrong in some respect ?" "Oh, no, Herr; they were correct." Grumbach roused his mind energetically.