The　enemies　of　the　king　also　made　use　of　this　winter　rest　to　make　every　possible　aggression；　they　had　their　acquaintances　and　spies　throughout　Germany；　under　various　pretences　and　disguises；　they　were　scattered　abroadeven　in　the　highest　court　circles　of　Berlin　they　were　zealously　at　work。　By　flattery；　and　bribery；　and　glittering　promises；　they　made　friends　and　adherents；　and　in　the　capital　of　Prussia　they　found　ready　supporters　and　informers。　They　were　not　satisfied　with　thisthey　were　haughty　and　bold　enough　to　seek　for　allies　among　the　Prussians；　and　hoped　to　obtain　entrance　into　the　walls　of　the　cities；　and　possession　of　the　fortresses　by　treachery。
  The　Austrian　and　Russian　prisoners　confined　in　the　fortress　of　Kustrin　conspired　to　give　it　up　to　the　enemy。　The　number　of　Russian　prisoners　sent　to　the　fortress　of　Kustrin　after　the　battle　of　Zorndorf；　was　twice　as　numerous　as　the　garrison；　and　if　they　could　succeed　in　getting　possession　of　the　hundred　cannon　captured　at　Zorndorf；　and　placed　as　victorious　trophies　in　the　market…place；　it　would　be　an　easy　thing　to　fall　upon　and　overcome　the　garrison。
  This　plan　was　all　arranged；　and　about　to　be　carried　out；　but　it　was　discovered　the　day　before　its　completion。　The　Prussian　commander　doubled　the　guard　before　the　casemates　in　which　three　thousand　Russian　prisoners　were　confined；　and　arrested　the　Russian　officers。　Their　leader；　Lieutenant　von　Yaden　of　Courland；　was　accused；　condemned　by　the　court…martial；　and；　by　the　express　command　of　the　king；　broken　upon　the　wheel。　Even　this　terrible　example　bore　little　fruit。　Ever　new　attempts　were　being　madeever　new　conspiracies　discovered　amongst　the　prisoners；　and　whilst　the　armies　of　the　allies　were　attacking　Prussia　outwardly；　the　prisoners　were　carrying　on　a　not　less　dangerous　guerilla　warthe　more　to　be　feared　because　it　was　secretnot　in　the　open　field　and　by　day；　but　under　the　shadow　of　night　and　the　veil　of　conspiracy。
  Nowhere　was　this　warfare　carried　on　more　vigorously　than　in　Berlin。　All　the　French　taken　at　Rossbach；　all　the　Austrians　captured　at　Leuthen；　and　the　Russian　officers　of　high　rank　taken　at　Zorndorf；　had　been　sent　by　the　king　to　Berlin。　They　had　the　most　enlarged　liberty；　the　whole　city　was　their　prison；　and　only　their　word　of　honor　bound　them　not　to　leave　the　walls　of　Berlin。　Besides　this；　all　were　zealous　to　alleviate　the　sorrows　of　the　〃poor　captives；〃　and　by　fetes　and　genial　amusements　to　make　them　forget　their　captivity。　The　doors　of　all　the　first　houses　were　opened　to　the　distinguished　strangerseverywhere　they　were　welcome　guests；　and　there　was　no　assembly　at　the　palace　to　which　they　were　not　invited。
  Even　in　these　fearful　times；　balls　and　fetes　were　given　at　the　court。　Anxious　and　sad　faces　were　hidden　under　gay　masks；　and　the　loud　sound　of　music　and　dancing　drowned　the　heavy　sighs　of　the　desponding。　While　the　Austrians；　Russians；　and　Prussians　strove　with　each　other　on　the　bloody　battle…field；　the　Berlin　ladies　danced　the　graceful　Parisienne　dances　with　the　noble　prisoners。　This　was　now　the　mode。
  Truly　there　were　many　aching　hearts　in　this　gay　and　merry　city；　but　they　hid　their　grief　and　tears　in　their　quiet；　lonely　chambers；　and　their　clouded　brows　cast　no　shadow　upon　the　laughing；　rosy　faces　of　the　beautiful　women　whose　brothers；　husbands；　and　lovers；　were　far　away　on　the　bloody　battle…field　If　not　exactly　willing　to　accept　these　strangers　as　substitutes；　they　were　at　least　glad　to　seek　distraction　in　their　society。　After　all；　it　is　impossible　to　be　always　mourning；　always　complaining；　always　leading　a　cloistered　life。　In　the　beginning；　the　oath　of　constancy　and　remembrance；　which　all　had　sworn　at　parting；　had　been　religiously　preserved；　and　Berlin　had　the　physiognomy　of　a　lovely；　interesting；　but　dejected　widow；　who　knew　and　wished　to　know　nothing　of　the　joys　of　life。　But　suddenly　Nature　had　asserted　her　own　inexorable　laws；　which　teach　forgetfulness　and　inspire　hope。　The　bitterest　ears　were　driedthe　heaviest　sighs　suppressed；　people　had　learned　to　reconcile　themselves　to　life；　and　to　snatch　eagerly　at　every　ray　of　sunshine　which　could　illumine　the　cold；　hopeless　desert；　which　surrounded　them。
  They　had　seen　that　it　was　quite　possible　to　live　comfortably；　even　while　wild　war　was　blustering　and　raging　withoutthat　weak；　frail　human　nature；　refused　to　be　ever　strained；　ever　excited；　in　the　expectation　of　great　events。　In　the　course　of　these　three　fearful　years；　even　the　saddest　had　learned　again　to　laugh；　jest；　and　be　gay；　in　spite　of　death　and　defeat。　They　loved　their　fatherlandthey　shouted　loudly　and　joyfully　over　the　great　victories　of　their　king　they　grieved　sincerely　over　his　defeats；　but　they　could　not　carry　their　animosities　so　far　as　to　be　cold　and　strange　to　the　captive　officers　who　were　compelled　by　the　chances　of　war　to　remain　in　Berlin。
  They　had　so　long　striven　not　to　seek　to　revenge　themselves　upon　these　powerless　captives；　that　they　had　at　last　truly　forgotten　they　were　enemies；　and　these　handsome；　entertaining；　captivating；　gallant　gentlemen　were　no　longer　looked　upon　even　as　prisoners；　but　as　strangers　and　travellers；　and　therefore　they　should　receive　the　honors　of　the　city。　＇Footnote：　Sulzer　writes：　〃The　prisoners　of　war　are　treated　here　as　if　they　were　distinguished　travellers　and　visitors。〃＇
  The　king　commanded　that　these　officers　should　receive　all　attention。　It　was　also　the　imperative　will　of　the　king　that　court　balls　should　be　given；　he　wished　to　prove　to　the　world　that　his　family　were　neither　sad　nor　dispirited；　but　gay；　bold；　and　hopeful。
  CHAPTER　II。
  THE　THREE　OFFICERS。
  It　was　the　spring　of　1759。　Winter　quarters　were　broken　up；　and　it　was　said　the　king　had　left　Breslau　and　advanced　boldly　to　meet　the　enemy。　The　Berlin　journals　contained　accounts　of　combats　and　skirmishes　which　had　taken　place　here　and　there　between　the　Prussians　and　the　allies；　and　in　which；　it　appeared；　the　Prussians　had　always　been　unfortunate。
  Three　captive　officers　sat　in　an　elegant　room　of　a　house　near　the　castle；　and　conversed　upon　the　news　of　the　day；　and　stared　at　the　morning　journals　which　lay　before　them　on　the　table。
  〃I　beg　you；〃　said　one　of　them　in　French〃I　beg　you　will　have　the　goodness　to　translate　this　sentence　for　me。　I　think　it　has　relation　to　Prince　Henry；　but　I　find　it　impossible　to　decipher　this　barbarous　dialect。〃　He　handed　the　journal　to　his　neighbor；　and　pointed　with　his　finger　to　the　paragraph。
  〃Yes；　there　is　something　about　Prince　Henry；〃　said　the　other；　with　a　peculiar　accent　which　betrayed　the　Russian；　〃and　something；　Monsieur　Belleville；　which　will　greatly　interest　you。〃
  〃Oh；　I　beseech　you　to　read　it　to　us；〃　said　the　Frenchman；　somewhat　impatiently；　then；　turning　graciously　to　the　third　gentleman　who　sat　silent　and　indifferent　near　him；　he　added：　〃We　must　first　ascertain；　however；　if　our　kind　host；　Monsieur　le　Comte　di　Ranuzi；　consents　to　the　reading。〃
  〃I　gladly　take　part；〃　said　the　Italian　count；　〃in　any　thing　that　is　interesting；　above　all；　in　every　thing　which　has　no　relation　to　this　wearisome　and　stupid　Berlin。〃
  〃Vraiment！　you　are　right。〃　sighed　the　Frenchman。　〃It　is　a　dreary　and　ceremonious　region。　They　are　so　inexpressibly　prudish　and　virtuous　so　ruled　with　old…fashioned　scruplesled　captive　by　such　little　prejudicesthat　I　should　be　greatly　amused　at　it；　if　I　did　not　suffer　daily　from　the　dead　monotony　it　brings。　What　would　the　enchanting　mistress　of　Francewhat　would　the　Marquise　de　Pompadour　say；　if　she　could　see　me；　the　gay；　witty；　merry　Belleville；　conversing　with　such　an　aspect　of　pious　gravity　with　this　poor　Queen　of　Prussia；　who　makes　a　face　if　one　alludes　to　La　Pucelle　d'Orleans；　and　wishes　to　make　it　appear　that　she　has　not　read　Crebillon！〃
  〃Tell　me；　now；　Giurgenow；　how　is　it　with　your　court　of　Petersburg？　Is　it　formal；　as　ceremonious　as　here　in　Prussia？〃
  Giurgenow　laughed　aloud。　〃Our　Empress　Elizabeth　is　an　angel　of　beauty　and　goodnessmild　and　magnanimous　to　all…sacrificing　herself　constantly　to　the　good　of　others。　Last　year　she　gave　a　ball　to　her　body…guard。　She　danced　with　every　one　of　the　soldiers；　and　sipped　from　every　glass；　and　when　the　soldiers；　carried　away　by　her　grace　and　favor；　dared　to　indulge　in　somewhat　free　jests；　the　good　empress　laughed　merrily；　and　forgave　them。　On　that　auspicious　day　she　first　turned　her　attention　to　the　happy　Bestuchef。　He　was　then　a　poor　subordinate　officernow　he　is　a　prince　and　one　of　the　richest　men　in　Russia。〃
  〃It　appears　that　your　Russia　has　some　resemblance　to　my　beautiful　France；〃　said　Belleville；　gayly。　〃But　how　is　it　with　you；　Count　Ranuzi？　Is　the　Austrian　court　like　the　court　of　France；　or　like　this　wearisome　Prussia？〃
  〃The　Austrian　court　stands　aloneresembles　no　other；〃　said　the　Italian；　proudly。　〃At　the　Austrian　court　we　have　a　tribunal　of　justice　to　decide　all　charges　against　modesty　and　virtue　The　Empress　Maria　Theresa　is　its　president。〃
  〃Diable！〃　cried　the　Frenchman；　〃what　earthly　chance　would　the　Russian　empress　and　my　lovely；　enchanting　marquise　have；　if　summoned　before　this　tribunal　by　their　most　august　ally　the　Empress　Maria　Theresa？　But　you　forget；　Giurgenow；　that　you　have　promised　to　read　us　something　from　the　journal　about　Prince　Henry。〃
  〃It　is　nothing　of　importance