"Cover the picture," he said, in a feeble voice. "Do not excite yourself and me unnecessarily," he began, in a changed tone. "If you do not choose to fulfill my wishes, I will not insist upon it." He took his hat from the table, and continued, in a softer tone: "You are beloved by the citizens; the weather is as warm as summer, and promises to last. I will, on your birthday, arrange to have a morning concert for the officials and the citizens in the park. I will send you a list of invitations through the Lord High Steward. In the evening we shall have a gala-supper and visit the opera."
The Sovereign left the room without looking at his daughter. The Princess followed him to the anteroom, where the attendants were standing. At the door she made a low curtsy. The Sovereign gave a friendly sign with his hand. The Princess then flew back into her room, threw herself down before the picture, and wrung her hands.
The Princes were walking in the park, and the promenaders bowed and looked after them. The Hereditary Prince took off his hat with the dignity of a man; Victor touched his hussar cap lightly, and nodded sometimes familiarly to a pretty face.
"All old acquaintances," he began; "it is a pleasure, indeed, to be home again."
"You always were a favorite of the people," said the Hereditary Prince.
"I have amused and provoked them," replied Victor laughing. "I feel like Hercules with his mother earth, and am ready for any mischief. Benno, do not look so dejected; I cannot stand it."
"If you had, like me, to walk always at the same hour you would look so too," replied Benno, stopping before an empty water-tank, in which four little bears were sitting, looking at the public, who were throwing bread to them. The Hereditary Prince took a piece of bread from the keeper, who approached him hat in hand, and threw it mechanically to the bears. "And if you had by high command to show yourself every day as the friend of the people, and feed these stupid bears, you would also weary of them."
"Pooh!" exclaimed Victor, "it only depends upon yourself to make these louts amusing."
He sprang with one jump into the walled place among the animals, laid hold of the first bear as a sheep is carried to be shorn, threw it upon the second, and the third upon the fourth; a horrible growling and clawing began among the bears; they fought violently together, and the bystanders shouted with pleasure.