'The King is a slave,' said Ludovici.
Sulkowski relapsed into thought.
'If you intend to go with all your retinue to Dresden,' Ludovici continued, 'you will fall into their hands. If there is any means you could use to see the King, don't hesitate to act. You have some influence, take advantage of it, but it will be a fight for life or death, with the Queen, confessor and Brühl.'
Sulkowski paced to and fro, frowning, then he asked:
'Are you sure of what you say?'
'As I live.'
'Then be it so, but--I am not afraid of them; they cannot crush me as they did Hoym and the rest. We shall see. Let us now have something to eat. I shall leave my retinue here and we shall go to Dresden on horseback. I should like to know who would dare to bar my access to the King to-morrow. We shall see! Can we not reach town without being recognised?
'We must!' answered Ludovici.
'Come then and let us eat well, that they may not guess anything here.'
Having said this he returned to the other room in which the meal was ready. They spoke very little and only of extraneous matters as they eat. Ludovici had a very good appetite, while Sulkowski seemed only to be thirsty, he drank so much.