"Your majesty," replied the count, "my imperial master commanded me not to leave you, and especially to accompany the army--a command in accordance with my most earnest wishes, for besides being the fortunate witness of the heroic deeds of the brave Hanoverian army, the cause here is the same as in the Austrian camp--the cause of justice and of Austrian independence. I beg your majesty's permission to remain at head-quarters."
"With the greatest pleasure, my dear count, I offer you the hospitality of my head-quarters," cried the king. "You will, perhaps," he added, smiling, "during your military campaign, have to excuse the dinners we shall offer you, but à la guerre comme à la guerre. We are going to encounter great events," he continued gravely.
"They will doubtless bring great glory and enduring happiness to your majesty," said Count Ingelheim.
"Do you think we shall be able to reach South Germany?" asked the king.
"I am sure of it," replied the count, "according to all the information I have received. And I have just had a note from Count Paar who is in Cassel. The road is free, and the few Prussian troops who may be there will be unable to arrest the march of your majesty's army."
"I would the next few days were over," said the king gloomily; "the cares of the march weigh heavily upon me, and I cannot bear to think that we may be surrounded by superior forces."
"Your brave army would fight its way through if needful," cried the count. "I cannot doubt it, for I saw them on my journey here; but above all, let your majesty remember you do not stand alone; the decisive action must take place on a Saxon battle-field, and when the emperor has fought there and won, your majesty will return in triumph to your capital."
The king was silent.
"The great thing would be," he said, after a pause, "to reach Bavaria. If we succeed in this, the army is saved, and will be free to take a part in the great struggle on the fate of Germany. We must know exactly where the Bavarian army is."
"According to what I heard yesterday, the Bavarian outposts are near Eisenach and Gotha," said Count Ingelheim.