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CHAPTER VI.
THE PRIVATE AUDIENCE.
The king received the French ambassador without ceremony. There were
no guards, no pages, no swarms of curious listening courtiers, only
a few of his trusty friends, who welcomed the duke and conversed
with him, while Pollnitz entered the adjoining room and informed the
king of his arrival.
"His majesty entreats the duke to enter." said Pollnitz, opening the
door of the library. The king advanced. He was dressed simply; even
the golden star, which was seldom absent from his coat, was now
missing.
"Come, duke," said the king, pleasantly, "come into my tusculum." He
then entered the library, quickly followed by the duke.
"Well, sir," said the king, "we are now in that room in which I
lately told you I was but a republican. You have crossed the
threshold of the republic of letters!"
"But I see a king before me," said the duke, bowing reverentially;
"a king who has vanquished his republic, and surpassed all the great
spirits that have gone before him."
The king's glance rested upon the shelves filled with books, on
whose back glittered in golden letters the most distinguished names
of all ages.
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