Four persons were leaving the mausoleum in silence, evidently impressed by the royal tomb. The castellan followed them.
Three of these persons were old acquaintances from Blechow--the pastor Berger, his daughter Helena, and the eldest son of Baron von Wendenstein. Their companion was a young man of about seven or eight and twenty, who was evidently a clergyman, from his plain black dress and white neck-tie; his smooth, fair hair hung low on his temples, and surrounded a round, shiny face, which was neither handsome nor interesting. His small grey eyes, partly concealed by eyelids habitually cast down, were quick and rather hard, and on his thin, firmly closed lips appeared an expression of self-satisfaction and ascetic assumption, which formed a remarkable contrast to the amiability and calm cheerfulness of old pastor Berger, who wore his usual dress--a closely buttoned black coat, and the square berretta of the Lutheran clergy.
The whole party advanced slowly up the wide avenue leading from the mausoleum to the park immediately surrounding the castle.
They had not gone far from the mausoleum, when they heard the sentinel present arms, and the castellan said in a low voice:--
"His majesty the king!"
George V. appeared from a side walk, leaning on the arm of Prince Solms.
The three gentlemen removed their hats, and they all respectfully stood still.
"They are acknowledging you," whispered the prince.
The king touched his cap.
"Who is it?" he asked.