He saw with astonishment a crowd of citizens surrounding his carriage as if they wished to block up the road.
"Come, what is going on here?" he asked kindly; "you here, Herr Sonntag? and you too, old Conrad?" and he walked towards the old weather-beaten man, who, with Sonntag, had left the crowd, and going close up to him he offered him his hand.
"Count," said Conrad, the old court saddler, a veteran who had fought in the great wars, and who had been an especial favourite with King Ernest Augustus, who used often to talk to him, and who enjoyed his extremely unceremonious answers, which usually contained a good deal of national wit, "Count," and he pushed aside Herr Sonntag, who was anxious to speak, with his strong hand, "we are all in much trouble and uneasiness about what is going to happen. We do hear, now and then, that war is about to break out, and the king is going to leave us,--that makes all the citizens very uncomfortable about the fate of the town, and we all want to know something for certain."
"Yes," cried the merchant Sonntag, who had freed himself from Conrad's restraining hand, and who now stepped forward; "yes, count, all these gentlemen are very anxious and uneasy, quite ready to lose all courage. I have taken great pains to calm them, but in vain. I pray you, sir, to tell them what is taking place, and what they ought to do."
An expression of anxiety was seen on all the faces as they turned to the handsome, strongly made young man who before replying examined the crowd for a moment with his clear calm gaze.
"What is taking place?" he then said in a loud firm voice; "that is easily told, war stands before the gate, and the king takes the field with the army."
"And leaves us here behind in an open town!" was murmured by the crowd.
A bright flush passed over the young count's brow, and an indignant look flashed from his eyes as he heard the complaint.
"Does not the Hanoverian soldier march and leave his family at home?" he cried. "The queen and the princesses remain here, and I stay with her majesty."
"Ah!" resounded from the crowd, "if the queen stays here it is not so bad a look-out for the city."