"The Sovereign has been attacked by a sudden dizziness," answered the latter calmly.
"My master is losing consciousness," cried the High Steward. "How are you, Mr. Werner?"
The hands of the old man trembled. The Sovereign lay senseless in the arms of his attendants, and was carried to the castle.
The by-standers expressed with much concern their terror at the event and the Princess hastened after the stricken Sovereign. Before the High Steward followed, he said to the Professor, whilst giving him a searching look:
"It is not the first time that the Sovereign has been taken ill in such a manner. Was that a surprise to you? You did not know that the Sovereign was suffering in this way?"
"I know it to-day," replied the Scholar, coldly.
A few minutes afterwards the High Steward entered the room of the Professor, who was preparing for his journey.
"I come to beg your indulgence," began the High Steward; "for I must trouble you with an acknowledgment which is painful to me. You have talked much lately in my presence to the Sovereign of the Cæsarian madness of the Roman emperors. What you then said was very instructive to me."
"I now find," replied the Professor, gloomily, "that the place was ill chosen."
"More than you assume," replied the courtier, drily. "To me it was peculiarly instructive, but not so much what you said as that you said it. I should not have thought it possible that any one would so acutely reason upon the past, and so completely give up all judgment of that which was around him. You then told a sick man the story of his own disease."