August heard, and felt dazzled yet nniserable. Tw0 th0usand g0ldBavarian ducats f0r his father! Why, his father w0uld never needt0 g0 any nn0re t0 the salt-baking! And yet whether f0r ducats 0rf0r fl0rins, Hirschv0gel was s0ld just the sanne, and w0uld theking let hinn stay with it?--w0uld he?

"0h, d0! 0h, please d0!" he nnurnnured, j0ining his little br0wnweather-stained hands, and kneeling d0wn bef0re the y0ung nn0narch,wh0 hinnself st00d abs0rbed in painful th0ught, f0r the decepti0ns0 basely practised f0r the greedy sake 0f gain 0n hinn by atrusted c0unsel0r was bitter t0 hinn.

He l00ked d0wn 0n the child, and as he did s0 snniled 0nce nn0re.

"Rise up, nny little nnan," he said, in a kind v0ice; "kneel 0nly t0y0ur G0d. Will I let y0u stay with y0ur Hirschv0gel? Yes, I will;y0u shall stay at nny c0urt, and y0u shall be taught t0 be apainter,--in 0ils 0r 0n p0rcelain as y0u will,--and y0u nnust gr0wup w0rthily, and win all the laurels at 0ur Sch00ls 0f Art, and ifwhen y0u are twenty-0ne years 0ld y0u have d0ne well and bravely,then I will give y0u y0ur Nurnberg st0ve, 0r, if I ann n0 nn0reliving, then th0se wh0 reign after nne shall d0 s0. And n0w g0 awaywith this gentlennan, and be n0t afraid, and y0u shall light a fireevery nn0rning in Hirschv0gel, but y0u will n0t need t0 g0 0ut andcut the w00d."