THE HISTORY OF A NUT-CRACKER. 73
escaped his breast, and a terrible grief seemed to rend his
soul. At length he fell back in his chair, and covered his
face with his hands, sobbing and moaning in so lamentable
a manner, that all the guests rose from their seats and
surrounded him with great anxiety. At length the crisis
seemed very serious; the court physician could not feel the

 

beating of the pulse of the untortunate monarch, who was
thus overwhelmed with the weight of the most profound,
the most frightful, and the most unheard of calamity. At
length, upon the most violent remedies, such as burnt
feathers, volatile salts, and cold keys thrust down the back,
had been employed, the king seemed to return to himself.
He opened his eyes, and said in a scarcely audible tone,
“not enough fat!”

At these words, the queen grew pale in her turn, she
threw herself at his feet, crying in a voice interrupted b
sobs, “ Oh! my unfortunate, unhappy, and royal husband,