Frederick had already been ordered to Bohemia
before the declaration of war. This time I was
spared the heart-rending parting which followed
the direct order into the field. When my father
brought me the triumphant assurance, "now it has
begun," I had already been alone fourteen days,
during which I had lived like the criminal in hourly
expectation of sentence of death.
I bowed my head and said nothing.*
" Be of good courage, child. The war will not
last long — day after to-morrow we may be in
Berlin. Your husband returned from Schleswig-
Holstein in safety, so he will probably get back
from this campaign with brighter laurels than ever.
Unpleasant as it must be to him, being of Prussian
origin, to fight against Prussia, still he is Austrian
to the core. Those Prussians! We will drive them
out of the German Confederation — the arrogant
wind-bags! They will have reason to repent when

Silesia is again ours and when the Hapsburgs "

I stretched out my hands:
" Father, I implore you, let me alone."
He may have suspected an outbreak of tears, and
as he was an enemy of all pathetic scenes he hastily
retired. But I had no place for tears. It was as
if a crushing blow had fallen upon my head.
