He would bring him up to be a man, well educated,
broad-minded, and clean-lived. He should have a pilot to guide him past
the traps and vices which befall the young. Time wore on. The lad grew
up, clean in mind, strong in body, liberal; a fine prince. No scandalous
entanglements; no gaming; no wine-bibbing beyond what any decent man may
do. In his palace few saw anything of him after his fifteenth year. He
went into the world under an assumed name. By and by he came home,
quietly. His uncle was proud of him, for his eye was clear and his
tongue was clean. In one month he was to be coronated. And now what do
you think? He must have one more adventure, just one. Would his uncle
go with him? Certainly not. Moreover, the time for adventure was over.
He must no longer wander about; he was a king; he must put his hand to
king-craft. And one morning his uncle found him gone, gone as completely
as if he had never existed. What to do? Ah! The prince regent set it
going that his majesty had gone a-hunting in Bavaria. Then the prince
regent put on some old clothes and went a-venturing himself."
"And the end?"
"God knows!" said Ludwig, sliding off the counter.
Nothing but the ticking of the clocks was heard.
"And fatuous fool that this uncle was, he committed an almost
irreparable blunder.
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