第4章

KING。""Youaremistaken，theHighChurchofMagdeburg。"

ICH。""YourMajesty"sgraciouspardon，theHighChurchofBerlin。"

KING。""Butitisnotso；theHighChurchofBerlinhasnotenants！"

ICH。""YourMajesty"sgraciouspardon，theHighChurchofBerlinhasthreetenantsinthevillageKarveseninmyownAMT。"

KING。""Youmistake，itistheHighChurchofMagdeburg。"

ICH。""YourMajesty，ImustbeabadBeamte，ifIdidnotknowwhattenantsandwhatlordshipsthereareinmyownAMT。"

KING。""Ja，thenyouareintheright！Tellmenow:hereontherighttheremustbeanestate，Ican"tthinkofthename；namemetheestatesthatliehereontheright。"

ICH。""Buschow，Rodenslieben，Sommerfeld，Beetz，Karbe。"

KING。""That"sit，Karbe！Towhombelongsthat？"

ICH。""ToHerrvonKnesebeck。"

KING。""Washeintheservice？"

ICH。""Yes，LieutenantorEnsignintheGuards。"

KING。""IntheGuards？[COUNTINGONHISFINGERS。]Youareright:

hewasLieutenantintheGuards。IamverygladtheEstateisstillinthehandsoftheKnesebecks。Na，tellmethough，theroadthatmountsupheregoestoRuppin，andheretotheleftisthegrandroadforHamburg？"

ICH。""Ja，yourMajesty。"

KING。""DoyouknowhowlongitissinceIwasherelast？"

ICH。""No。"

KING。""Itisthreeandfortyyears。CannotIseeRuppinsomewherehere？"

ICH。""Yes，yourMajesty:thesteeplerisingthereoverthefirs，thatisRuppin。"

KING（leaningoutofthecarriagewithhisprospectglass）。

""Ja，ja，thatisit，Iknowityet。CanIseeDrammitzhereabouts？"

ICH。""No，yourMajesty:Drammitzliestoofartotheleft，closeonKiritz。"

KING。""Sha"n"tweseeit，whenwecomecloser？"

ICH。""Maybe，aboutNeustadt；butIamnotsure。"

KING。""Pity，that。CanIseePechlin？"

ICH。""Notjustnow，yourMajesty；itliestoomuchinthehollow。

WhoknowswhetheryourMajestywillseeitatall！"

KING。""Na，keepaneye；andifyouseeit，tellme。WhereistheBeamteofAltRuppin？"

ICH。""InProtzen，wherewechangehorses，hewillbe。"

KING。""Can"tweyetseePechlin？"

ICH。""No，yourMajesty。"

KING。""Towhombelongsitnow？"

ICH。""ToacertainSchonermark。"

KING。""IsheoftheNobility？"

ICH。""No。"

KING。""Whohaditbeforehim？"

ICH。""TheCourier（FELDJAGER）Ahrens；hegotitbyinheritancefromhisfather。Thepropertyhasalwaysbeenincommoners"

（BURGERLICHEN）hands。

KING。""ThatIamawareof。Howcallwethevillageherebeforeus？"

ICH。""Walcho。"

KING。""Towhombelongsit？"

ICH。""Toyou，yourMajesty，undertheAmtAltRuppin。"

KING。""Whatisthevillageherebeforeus？"

ICH。""Protzen。"

KING。""Whoseisit？"

ICH。""HerrvonKleist"s。"

KING。""WhatKleististhat？"

ICH。""AsonofGeneralKleist"s。"

KING。""OfwhatGeneralKleist"s。"

ICH。""HisbrotherwasFLUGELADJUTANT[WINGadjutant，whateverthatmaybe]withyourMajesty；andisnowatMagdeburg，Lieutenant

ColonelintheRegimentKalkstein。"

KING。""Ha，ha，thatone！IknowtheKleistsverywell。HasthisKleistbeenintheservicetoo？"

ICH。""Yea，yourMajesty；hewasensignintheregimentPrinzFerdinand。"

KING。""Whydidthemanseekhisdischarge？"

ICH。""ThatIdonotknow。"

KING。""Youmaytellme，Ihavenoviewinasking:whydidthemantakehisdischarge？"

ICH。""YourMajesty，Ireallycannotsay。"

"WehadnowgotontoProtzen。IperceivedoldGeneralvanZiethenstandingbeforetheManorhouseinProtzen，"ruggedbraveoldsoul；withhishangingbrows，andstrangedimfierypiousoldthoughts！"Irodeforwardtothecarriageandsaid:

ICH。""YourMajesty，theHerrGeneralvonZiethenis[are，SIND]

alsohere。"

KING。""Where？where？Oh，rideforward，andtellthepeopletodrawup；theymusthalt，I"llgetout。"

"AndnowhisMajestygotout；andwasexceedinglydelightedatthesightofHerrGeneralvonZiethen；talkedwithhimandHerrvonKleistofmanythings:WhetherthedrainingoftheLuchhaddonehimgood；Whetherthemurrainhadbeenthereamongtheircattle？

andrecommendedrocksaltagainstthemurrain。SuddenlyhisMajestysteptaside，turnedtowardsme，andcalled:"Amtmann！[THENCLOSE

INTOMYEAR]Whoisthefatmantherewiththewhitecoat？"

ICH（ALSOCLOSEINTOHISMAJESTY"SEAR）。""YourMajesty，thatistheLandrathQuast，oftheRuppinCircle。"

KING。""Verywell。"

"NowhisMajestywentbacktoGeneralvonZiethenandHerrvonKleist，andspokeofdifferentthings。HerrvonKleistpresentedsomeveryfinefruittohisMajesty；allatoncehisMajestyturnedround，andsaid:"Serviteur，HerrLandrath！"AstheLandrath["fatmantherewiththewhitecoat"]wassteppingtowardshisMajesty，saidhisMajesty:"Stayhetherewhereheis；Iknowhim。HeistheLandrathvonQuast！"["Verygoodindeed，oldVaterFritz；lethimstandthereinhiswhitecoat，afat，sufficientlyhonoredman！

Chodowieckihasanengravingofthisincident；IsawITattheBritishMuseumonce，wheretheyhaveonlysevenothersonFriedrichaltogether，allinonepoorGOTHAALMANAC；verysmall，verycoarse，butverygood:thisQuast（Anglice"Tassel"）wasoneofthem"

（MARGINALEOF1862）。]

"Theyhadnowyokedthehorses。HisMajestytookaverytenderleaveofoldGeneralvonZiethen，wavedanadieutothoseabout，anddroveon。AlthoughhisMajestyatProtzenwouldnottakeanyfruit，yetwhenoncewewereoutofthevillage，hisMajestytookaluncheonfromthecarriagepocketforhimselfandtheHerrGeneralGrafvonGortz，and，allalong，duringthedrive，ateapricots（IMMERPFIRSCHE）。

Atstarting，hisMajestyhadfanciedIwastostophere，andcalledoutofthecarriage:"Amtmann，comealongwithus！"

KING。""WhereistheBeamteofAltRuppin？"

ICH。""Apparentlyhemustbeunwell；otherwisehewouldhavebeeninProtzenatthechangeofhorsesthere"["attheVORSPANN:"Yes；

andManorhouse，EDELHOF，whereoldZiethenwaited，waslowerdownthestreet，andSOONERthanthePosthouse？]

KING。""Na，tellmenow，don"tyoureallyknowwhythatKleistatProtzentookhisdischarge？"[VOILA！]

ICH。""No，yourMajesty，Ireallydonot。"

KING。""Whatvillageisthisbeforeus？"

ICH。""Manker。"

KING。""Andwhose？"

ICH。""Yours，yourMajesty，intheAMTAltRuppin。"

KING（lookingroundontheharvestfields）。""Hereyou，now:

howareyoucontentwiththeharvest？"

ICH。""Verywell，yourMajesty。"

KING。""Verywell？Andtometheysaid，Veryill！"

ICH。""YourMajesty，thewintercropwassomewhatfrostnipt；

butthesummercropinreturnissoabundantitwillrichlymakeupforthewintercrop。"HisMajestynowlookedrounduponthefields，shockstandinguponshock。

KING。""Itisagoodharvest，youareright；shockstandsclosebyshockhere！"

ICH。""Yes，yourMajesty；andthepeopleheremakeSTEIGS（mounts）

ofthemtoo。"

KING。""Steigs，whatisthat？"

ICH。""Thatis20sheavespiledalltogether。"

KING。""Oh，itisindisputablyagoodharvest。Buttellme，though，whydidKleistofProtzentakehisdischarge？"

ICH。""YourMajesty，Idonotknow。Isupposehewasobligedtotakehisfather"sestatesinhand:noothercausedoIknowof。"

KING。""What"sthenameofthisvillagewearecomingto？"

ICH。""Garz。"