WILHELMINE.
How clumsy, dear friend. [Dancing.] And your hand is strangely rough today.
[She turns and sees the KING, who had begun to hum the tune in a gruff voice. The three start in alarm. ECKHOF salutes with the violin.]
KING (angry).
Very nice—very pretty indeed! Are these the sayings of Solomon? Music and dancing in my castle by broad daylight? And a Prussian grenadier playing the violin to the prisoner he is set to watch?
SONNSFELD.
Pardon, Your Majesty—it was we who forced him.
KING.
Forced him? Forced a soldier? Forced him to violate his duty in this devilish manner? I'll have to invent a punishment for him such as the Prussian army has never yet seen.