y　lover；　and　I　will　be　your　friend。　Here　is　my　handI　offer　you　my　friendship；　will　you　accept；　it？〃
  〃Will　I　accept　it？〃　said　he；　rapturously；　〃you　offer　me　life；　and　ask　if　I　will　accept　it！〃
  Louise　smiled　softly。　She　found　that　Ranuzi　declared　his　friendship　in　almost　as　glowing　terms　as　he　had　confessed　his　love。　〃So　then；〃　said　she；　〃you　have　sorrows　that　you　dare　not　name？〃
  〃Yes；　but　they　are　not　my　own　individual　griefs　I　suffer；　but　it　is　for　another。〃
  〃That　sounds　mysterious。　For　whom　do　you　suffer？〃
  〃For　a　poor　prisoner；　who；　far　from　the　world；　far　from　the　haunts　of　men；　languishes　in　wretchedness　and　chainswhom　not　only　men　but　God　has　forgotten；　for　He　will　not　even　send　His　minister　Death　to　release　him。　I　cannot；　I　dare　not　say　moreit　is　not　my　secret；　and　I　have　sworn　to　disclose　it　to　but　one　person。〃
  〃And　this　person〃
  〃Is　the　Princess　Amelia　of　Prussia；〃　said　Ranuzi。
  Louise　shrank　back；　and　looked　searchingly　at　the　count。　〃A　sister　of　the　king！　And　you　say　that　your　secret　relates　to　a　poor　prisoner？〃
  〃I　said　so。　Oh；　my　noble；　magnanimous　friend；　do　not　ask　me　to　say　more；　I　dare　not；　but　I　entreat　you　to　help　me。　I　must　speak　with　the　princess。　You　are　her　confidante　and　friend；　you　alone　can　obtain　me　an　interview。〃
  〃It　is　impossible！　impossible！〃　cried　Madame　du　Trouffle；　rising　up　and　pacing　the　room　hastily。　Ranuzi　followed　her　with　his　eyes；　observed　every　movement；　and　read　in　her　countenance　every　emotion　of　her　soul。
  〃I　will　succeed；〃　said　he　to　himself；　and　proud　triumph　swelled　his　heart。
  Louise　drew　near　and　stood　before　him。
  〃Listen；〃　said　she；　gravely；　〃it　is　a　daring；　a　dangerous　enterprise　in　which　you　wish　to　entangle　medoubly　dangerous　for　me；　as　the　king　suspects　me；　and　he　would　never　forgive　it　if　he　should　learn　that　I　had　dared　to　act　against　his　commands；　and　to　assist　the　Princess　Amelia　to　save　an　unhappy　wretch　whom　he　had　irretrievably　condemned。　I　know　well　who　this　prisoner　is；　but　do　not　call　his　nameit　is　dangerous　to　speak　it；　even　to　think　it。　I　be　long　not　to　the　confidantes　of　the　princess　in　this　matter；　and　I　do　not　desire　it。　Speak　no　more　of　the　prisoner；　but　of　yourself。　You　wish　to　be　presented　to　the　princess。　Why　not　apply　to　Baron　Pollnitz？〃
  〃I　have　not　gold　enough　to　bribe　him；　and；　besides　that；　he　is　a　babbler；　and　purchasable。　To…morrow　he　would　betray　me。〃
  〃You　are　right；　and　he　could　not　obtain　you　a　secret　interview。　One　of　the　maids　of　honor　must　always　be　present；　and　the　princess　is　surrounded　by　many　spies。　But　there　is　a　means；　and　it　lies　in　my　hands。　Listen！〃
  Louise　bowed　and　whispered。
  Ranuzi's　face　sparkled　with　triumph。
  〃To…morrow；　then；〃　said　he；　as　he　withdrew。
  〃To…morrow；〃　said　Louise；　〃expect　me　at　the　castle　gate；　and　be　punctual。〃
  CHAPTER　V。
  THE　FORTUNE…TELLER。
  The　heavy　curtains　were　drawn　down；　and　a　gloomy　twilight　reigned　in　this　great；　silent　room；　whose　dreary　stillness　was　only　interrupted　by　the　monotonous　stroke　of　the　clock；　and　the　deep　sighs　and　lamentations　which　came　from　the　sofa　in　a　distant　part　of　the　room。　There　in　the　corner；　drawn　up　convulsively　and　motionless；　lay　a　female　form；　her　hands　clasped　over　her　breast；　her　eyes　fixed　staringly　toward　heaven；　and　from　time　to　time　uttering　words　of　grief　and　scorn　and　indignation。
  She　was　alone　in　her　anguishever　alone；　she　had　been　alone　for　many　years；　grief　and　disappointment　had　hardened　her　heart；　and　made　it　insensible　to　all　sorrows　but　her　own。　She　hated　men；　she　hated　the　world；　she　railed　at　those　who　were　gay　and　happy；　she　had　no　pity　for　those　who　wept　and　mourned。
  Had　she　not　suffered　more？　Did　she　not　still　suffer？　Who　had　been　merciful；　who　had　pitied　her　sorrows？　Look　now　at　this　poor；　groaning　woman！　Do　you　recognize　these　fearful　features；　deformed　by　sickness　and　grief；　these　blood…shot　eyes；　these　thin；　colorless　lips；　ever　convulsively　pressed　together；　as　if　to　suppress　a　wild　shriek　of　agony；　which　are　only　unclosed　to　utter　cold；　harsh　words　of　scorn　and　passion？　Do　you　know　this　woman？　Has　this　poor；　unhappy；　deformed　being　any　resemblance　to　the　gay；　beautiful；　intellectual　Princess　Amelia；　whom　we　once　knew？　and　yet　this　is　the　Princess　Amelia。　How　have　the　mighty　fallen！　Look　at　the　transforming　power　of　a　few　sorrowful　years！　The　sister　of　a　mighty　hero　king；　but　a　poor　desolate　creature；　shunned　and　avoided　by　all：　she　knows　that　men　fly　from　her；　and　she　will　have　it　so；　she　will　be　alonelonely　in　the　midst　of　the　world；　even　as　he　is；　in　the　midst　of　his　dark　and　gloomy　prison。　Amelia　calls　the　whole　world　her　prison；　she　often　says　to　herself　that　her　soul　is　shut　in　behind　the　iron　bars　of　her　body　and　can　never　be　delivered；　that　her　heart　lies　upon　the　burning　gridiron　of　the　base　world；　and　cannot　escape；　it　is　bound　there　with　the　same　chains　which　are　around　about　and　hold　him　in　captivity。
  But　Amelia　says　this　only　to　herself；　she　desires　no　sympathy；　she　knows　no　one　will　dare　to　pity　her。　Destiny　placed　her　high　in　rank　and　alonealone　she　will　remain；　her　complaints　might　perhaps　bring　new　danger　to　him　she　loves；　of　whom　alone　she　thinks；　for　whose　sake　alone　she　supports　existence；　she　lives　only　for　him。　Can　this　be　called　life？　A　perpetual　hopeand　yet　hopelessa　constant　watching　and　listening　for　one　happy　moment；　which　never　comes！　She　had　not　been　permitted　to　live　for　him；　she　would　not　die　without　him。　So　long　as　he　lived　he　might　need　her　aid；　and　might　call　upon　her　for　help　in　the　hour　of　extremest　need；　so　she　would　not　die。
  She　was　not　wholly　dead；　but　her　youth；　her　heart；　her　peace；　her　illusions；　her　hopes　were　dead；　she　was　opposed　to　all　that　lived；　to　the　world；　to　all　mankind。　In　the　wide　world　she　loved　but　two　persons：　one；　who　languished　in　prison　and　who　suffered　for　her　sake；　Frederick　von　Trenck；　the　other；　he　who　had　made　her　wretched　and　who　had　the　power　to　liberate　Trenck　and　restore　their　peace　the　king。　Amelia　had　loved　her　mother；　but　she　was　dead；　grief　at　the　lost　battle　of　Collin　killed　her。　She　had　loved　her　sister；　the　Margravine　of　Baireuth；　but　she　died　of　despair　at　the　lost　battle　of　Hochkirch。　Grief　and　the　anger　and　contempt　of　the　king　had　killed　her　brother；　the　Prince　Augustus　William　of　Prussia。　She　was　therefore　alone；　alone！　Her　other　sisters　were　far　away；　they　were　happy；　and　with　the　happy　she　had　nothing　to　do；　with　them　she　had　no　sympathy。　Her　two　brothers　were　in　the　field；　they　thought　not　of　her。　There　was　but　one　who　remembered　her；　and　he　was　under　the　earthnot　dead；　but　buriedburied　alive。　The　blackness　of　thick　darkness　is　round　about　him；　but　he　is　not　blind；　there　is　glorious　sunshine；　but　he　sees　it　not。
  These　fearful　thoughts　had　crushed　Amelia's　youth；　her　mind；　her　life；　she　stood　like　a　desolate　ruin　under　the　wreck　of　the　past。　The　rude　storms　of　life　whistled　over　her；　and　she　laughed　them　to　scorn；　she　had　no　more　to　fearnot　she；　if　an　oak　fell；　if　a　fair　flower　was　crushed；　her　heart　was　glad；　her　own　wretchedness　had　made　her　envious　and　malicious；　perhaps　she　concealed　her　sympathy；　under　this　seeming　harshness；　perhaps　she　gave　herself　the　appearance　of　proud　reserve；　knowing　that　she　was　feared　and　avoided。　Whoever　drew　near　her　was　observed　and　suspected；　the　spies　of　the　king　surrounded　her　and　kept　her　friends；　if　she　had　friends；　far　off。　Perhaps　Amelia　would　have　been　less　unhappy　if　she　had　fled　for　shelter　to　Him　who　is　the　refuge　of　all　hearts；　if　she　had　turned　to　her　God　in　her　anguish　and　despair。　But　she　was　not　a　pious　believer；　like　the　noble　and　patient　Elizabeth　Christine；　the　disdained　wife　of　Frederick　the　Great。
  Princess　Amelia　was　the　true　sister　of　the　king；　the　pupil　of　Voltaire；　she　mocked　at　the　church　and　scorned　the　consolations　of　religion。　She　also　was　forced　to　pay　some　tribute　to　her　sex；　she　failed　in　the　strong；　self…confident；　intellectual　independence　of　Frederick；　her　poor；　weak；　trembling　hands　wandered　around　seeking　support；　as　religion；　in　its　mighty　mission；　was　rejected；　she　turned　for　consolation　to　superstition。　While　Elizabeth　Christine　prayed；　Amelia　tried　her　fortune　with　cards；　while　the　queen　gathered　around　her　ministers　of　the　gospel　and　pious　scholars；　the　princess　called　to　the　prophets　and　fortune…tellers。　While　Elizabeth　found　comfort　in　reading　the　Holy　Scriptures；　Amelia　found　consolation　in　the　mystical　and　enigmatical　words　of　her　sooth…　sayers。　While　the　queen　translated　sermons　and　pious　hymns　into　French；　Amelia　wrote　down　carefully　all　the　prophecies　of　her　cards；　her　coffee…grounds；　and　the　stars；　and　both　ladies　sent　their　manuscripts　to　the　king。
  Frederick　received　them　both　with　a　kindly　and　pitiful　smile。　The　pious　manuscript　of　the　queen　was　laid　aside　unread；　but　the　oracles　of　the　princess　were　carefully　looked　over。　Perhaps　this　was　done　in　pity　for　the　poor；　wounded　spirit　which　found　distraction　in　such　child's　play。　It　is　certain　that　when　the　king　wrote　to　the　princess；　he　thanked　her　for　her　manuscripts；　and　asked　her　to　continue　to　send　them。　＇Footnote：　Thiebault；　p。　279。＇　But　he　also　demanded　perfect　silence　as　to　this　strange　correspondence；　he　feared　his　enemies　might　falsely　interpret　his　consider