She covered her face with her hands, weeping aloud.  The Electoral Prince gave her a look of mingled grief and pain, took one hurried step forward, as if he would go to her, and encircle her in his arms, then paused, retreated slowly, gently, ever farther from the spot where she still stood with face concealed and sobbing aloud.  It was as if an invisible hand continually drew him farther from his mother, ever nearer the door of the antechamber.  Now he stood close to it, leaned against it, and—­was the old castle so disjointed, or had the Electoral Prince with sudden touch pressed upon the latch?—­the door flew open.  The Electoral Prince fell backward into the antechamber, and, had it not been for the Electress’s valet, against whom he stumbled, would have fallen to the ground.

“By my faith!” he cried, while he nodded to the lackey, who stood there with red face and deep embarrassment of manner—­“by my faith! it was a piece of good luck for me that you were standing so near the door, my friend, else I should probably have had a bad fall.  This rickety old castle must be repaired.  One can not even lean against the doors without their flying open!”

He nodded to the lackey, who stood there in confusion, not having at all recovered his self-possession, and stepped back into the room.  In passing, his eye caught that of Leuchtmar, who replied by a nod of assent, stolen and significant; then he approached the Electress, who, surprised by this sudden and unexpected interlude, had let her hands glide from before her face, and now dried her tears.

“I beg my revered mother’s pardon for disturbing her so ridiculously,” he said, seizing her hand and pressing it to his lips.  “It was not my fault, and only occasioned by the insecure fastening upon the door.  It was by a right fortunate accident that your grace commanded your valet to station himself close to the door of the cabinet, for he thereby saved me from an unpleasant fall.”

“I did not command the lackey to station himself in your sleeping apartment,” said the Electress, “and consider it contrary to all rules of propriety.”

She rapidly crossed the study and opened the door just as the lackey was slinking through the one opposite.

“Frederick, come here!” cried the Electress, and with head sunk and humbled mien the lackey came a few paces nearer.

“Did I not order you to wait for me in the antechamber, and to forewarn us of the approach of any one else?” asked the Electress.

“Your highness,” replied the lackey humbly, “I followed your grace’s orders exactly, and stood here in the antechamber and kept guard, but nobody came.”

“But this is not the antechamber, you blockhead!” cried the Electress.  “It is there, without!  Go out there and wait!”