"
"Therefore 'Long live the king!'" struck in young Bernenstein.
"If there should be a king--" began Sapt.
"You'll do that?" interrupted Rischenheim in breathless
agitation.
"She is deciding," said Colonel Sapt, and again he pointed to the
moon.
"But she's a plaguey long time about it," remarked Lieutenant von
Bernenstein.
Rischenheim sat silent for a moment. His face was pale, and when
he spoke his voice trembled. But his words were resolute enough.
"I gave my honor to the queen, and even in that I will serve her
if she commands me."
Bernenstein sprang forward and caught him by the hand. "That's
what I like," said he, "and damn the moon, colonel!" His sentence
was hardly out of his mouth when the door opened, and to our
astonishment the queen entered. Helga was just behind her; her
clasped hands and frightened eyes seemed to protest that their
coming was against her will. The queen was clad in a long white
robe, and her hair hung on her shoulders, being but loosely bound
with a ribbon. Her air showed great agitation, and without any
greeting or notice of the rest she walked quickly across the room
to me.
"The dream, Fritz," she said. "It has come again.
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