"
"Miserable play on words!" said the prince. "You have been a
hypocrite--your crime is twofold: you have sinned against me--you
have sinned against your love. You have been a base coward who had
not the courage to do justice to the feelings of your own heart.
What mean you by saying you have broken no faith with me? You have
acted a daily lie. Oh, madame, how have I loved you! Both body and
soul were lost in that wild love. When you stood with your lover and
listened well pleased to those glowing confessions of his sinful
love, you excused yourself and thought, forsooth, you were breaking
no faith. You have defrauded me of the woman I loved and the friend
whom I trusted. May God curse you, even as I do! May Heaven chastise
you, even as I shall!"
He raised both his hands over her as if he would call down Heaven's
curse upon her guilty head, then turned and left the room.
CHAPTER XII.
THE MORNING AT SANS-SOUCI.
It was five o'clock in the morning. Deep silence reigned, the
darkness of night still encompassed the world, the weary might still
sleep and rest, life had recommenced nowhere, nowhere except at
Sans-Souci, nowhere except in the apartment of the king; while his
people slept, the king watched, he watched to work and think for his
people.
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