I do not know how we are to
reward you for this. But I know we must admire and love you."
King Frederick William shook hands with Blucher, and a smile
illuminated his features. "Blucher," he said, mildly, "you have kept
your word; you have fulfilled all that you promised us at Frankfort,
when I informed you of your appointment to the command-in-chief. To-
day you have blotted out the disgrace of Jena. Have you any wish
which I am able to fulfil? Pray let me know it, for I should like to
prove to you my gratitude and love."
"I have a wish, and before it is gratified, I shall neither sleep
well by night nor be calm by day. Now your majesties are quite able
to grant this wish of mine, and therefore I urgently pray both of
you to do so."
"Tell us what it is!" exclaimed the emperor; "I am anxious to grant
it as far as I am concerned, for an heroic head like yours must not
lie uneasy at night, and a childlike heart like yours must be
content. Speak, then!"
"Ah, sire," said the king, smiling, and fixing a searching look on
Blucher's bold face, "sire, beware of promising, for then he will
leave us no rest; he will not even let us sleep at night until he
has driven us to Paris.--That is your wish, Blucher, is it not?"
"It is!" exclaimed Blucher, ardently. "That is my wish; and, as your
majesty has called upon me to tell you something that you could
grant, and as his majesty the emperor tells me, too, that he would
like to gratify me--I say, let us now set out by forced marches for
Paris.
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