"
"Poor Conrad!" said Hardenberg, smiling, "my wife will assuredly pat
your cheeks until they are insensible. There, take this little
golden plaster."
He offered a gold-piece to Conrad, but the faithful servant refused
to accept it. "No, your excellency, I do not wish it, for I have as
much as I need, and I know that your excellency will take care of me
when I am too old and feeble to work. I only intended to take the
liberty to caution your excellency, so that you may be a little on
your guard. Madame von Hardenberg has told her lady's-maid that she
intends to follow the chancellor to-night, in order to find out
whither he goes, and that she then would go in the morning to the
lady and make such a fuss as to deter her from receiving your
excellency any more. The lady's-maid has confided this to me, und
ordered me to report it immediately, for you know that we all would
willingly die for you, and that even the female servants of her
excellency remain with her only because they love and adore you, and
because it is a great honor to belong to the household of a master
whom all Berlin loves and reveres."
"I thank you and the others for your attachment and fidelity," said
Hardenberg, nodding kindly to his old servant. "Tell my wife's maid
that I am especially obliged to her, and that I desire her to
continue serving me faithfully.
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