But the King is almost a stranger; he has been so much abroad, not one in ten knows him even by sight." "And now," chimed in one of the young women, "they say he has shaved off his beard, so that no one at all knows him." "Shaved his beard!" exclaimed her mother.

"Who says so ?" "Johann, the duke's keeper.

He has seen the King." "Ah, yes.

The King, sir, is now at the duke's hunting-lodge in the forest here; from here he goes to Strelsau to be crowned on Wednesday morning." I was interested to hear this, and made up my mind to walk next day in the direction of the lodge, on the chance of coming across the King.

The old lady ran on garrulously: "Ah, and I wish he would stay at his hunting--that and wine (and one thing more) are all he loves, they say--and suffer our duke to be crowned on Wednesday.