King John led the King of Hanover to the chair before his table, and drew forward one of the arm-chairs standing near for himself. They both seated themselves.
"I wished to come to you at once," said the King of Saxony, "to tell you that the foundations of my peace with Prussia were concluded."
"You will then return?" asked King George.
"Not yet," replied the King of Saxony, "the completion of the conditions requires some time, and the troops cannot return until all the new arrangements are definitely made."
"And you are satisfied?" asked the King of Hanover.
King John sighed.
"I am satisfied," he said, "thus far,--Saxony will not be taken from my family; for the rest, the cause for which I fought is defeated,--the vanquished must accept their fate."
"My fate too is that of the vanquished," said King George in a sad voice.
The King of Saxony seized his hand, in great emotion.
"Believe me," he said affectionately, "that no one feels for you more deeply, more heartily than I do; but," he added, "believe me also when I say, that as far as my personal feelings go, I would far rather be in your position than in my own. Rather, far rather would I abandon public life, withdraw into seclusion, and devote the remainder of my days to philosophy and the arts, than begin life afresh under new and strange, oppressive and humiliating conditions."