This historical novel tells the story of a young Prussian nobleman who dreams of becoming a soldier. Along the way, he falls in love with a beautiful woman and becomes embroiled in a web of courtly intrigue and political scheming. The novel offers a vivid portrait of 19th-century Prussia and the aristocratic culture that flourished there. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.