“Secondly.—He must renounce all the alliances he has made against Sweden—particularly those with Muscovy.
“Thirdly.—The Princes Sobieski and other prisoners of war are to be sent with honor to my Camp.
“Fourthly.—He is not to seek to punish any one of his following who have joined me, and he is to deliver to me all these deserters whom he has with him, and especially John Patkul.”
As Count Piper finished the two Saxons cried out in startled tones against the hardness of these terms.
Karl smiled.
“Did you expect,” he asked dryly, “other terms? Think, gentlemen, what Augustus would have exacted had he been at the gates of Stockholm as I am at those of Dresden.”
“Sire,” returned M. D’Imhof, in great agitation, “my master is honorable and merciful—he would never have propounded such a condition as that last.”
“You question these terms?” demanded the terrible young conqueror, with a cold and disdainful look.
“I say, sire,” replied the Saxon firmly, “that my master can never in honor surrender General Patkul.”
The sound of the name seemed to anger Karl; his blue eyes darkened and flashed.