louisa of prussia and her times-第112节

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to　expiate　his　ignominy　by　his　death；　he　had　fallen；　a　despairing
prisoner；　into　the　hands　of　the　English；　and　served　as　a　living
trophy　to　the　triumphant　conqueror's。　＇Footnote：　Admiral　Villeneuve
was　released　by　the　English　government。　Napoleon　banished　him　to
Rennes；　where　he　committed　suicide　on　the　26th　of　April；　1806；　by
piercing　his　heart　with　a　pin。＇

Such　were　the　terrible　tidings　which　Napoleon　had　just　received；　it
was　the　first　thunderbolt　which　the　God　of　heaven　had　hurled　down
upon　the　powerful　Titan。

But　the　Titan　did　not　feel　crushed　by　it；　the　thunderbolt　only
served　to　fan　the　fire　in　his　breast。

He　rose　from　his　seat；　and　his　eyes　flashed　with　anger。

〃I　cannot　be　everywhere；〃　he　said；　aloud；　〃but　my　enemies　shall　soon
find　out　that　I　am　here；　and　I　shall　know　how　to　avenge　the　disgrace
of　Trafalgar　by　a　brilliant　victory。〃　＇Footnote：　Napoleon's　own
words。＇

The　door　behind　him　opened　at　this　moment；　and　the　chief　of　the
imperial　cabinet；　M。　de　Bourrienne；　entered。

〃Sire；〃　he　said；　〃the　two　Austrian　envoys；　Count　de　Giulay　and　Count
Stadion；　have　returned；　and　beg　your　majesty　to　grant　them　an
audience。〃

〃So　late　at　night！〃　exclaimed　the　emperor。　〃Why　did　they　not　come　in
the　daytime？〃

〃They　pretend　to　have　been　detained　by　the　impassable　state　of　the
roads；　but　assert　to　be　able　to　lay　before　your　majesty　some　highly
important　intelligence；　which　would　seem　entirely　calculated　to
bring　about　the　conclusion　of　peace　so　longed　for　by　Austria。〃

〃Let　the　gentlemen　come　in；〃　said　the　emperor；　after　a　short
reflection；　and　he　placed　his　foot　again　on　the　crumpled　paper；　as
if　he　wished　to　choke　the　secret　of　its　contents；　so　that　it　might
not　betray　itself　to　the　Austrians。　Bourrienne　had　gone　out；　and　the
two　Austrian　envoys；　Count　Giulay　and　Count　Stadion；　now　appeared　on
the　threshold。

〃You　return　to　me；〃　said　the　emperor；　hastily；　to　them；　〃my
conditions　have　been　accepted；　then？　I　told　you　I　should　not
negotiate　separately　with　Austria；　but　that　I　should　require　Russia
to　participate　in　the　negotiations；　and　to　be　included　in　the　treaty
of　peace　on　which　we　might　agree。　You　come；　then；　in　the　name　of　the
Emperors　of　Austria　and　Russia？〃

〃No；　sire；〃　said　Count　Stadion；　respectfully；　〃we　come　only　in　the
name　of　Austria。〃

〃The　emperor；　our　august　master；〃　began　Count　Giulaybut　Napoleon
interrupted　him　quickly。

〃I　shall　listen　to　you　only　if　you　are　authorized　to　speak　in　the
name　of　the　two　emperors；〃　said　Napoleon。　〃I　already　told　you　so
yesterday；　and　I　do　not　see　what　should　induce　me　to…day　to　change
my　mind。　The　state　of　affairs　is　precisely　the　same。〃

〃Pardon　me；　sire；　it　is　not；〃　said　Count　Giulay；　firmly。

The　emperor　fixed　a　piercing　glance　on　him；　as　if　he　wished　to　read
in　the　innermost　recesses　of　his　heart。

〃And　why　is　it　not　the　same？〃　he　asked；　while　his　eye　slowly　turned
toward　the　foot；　under　which　he　concealed　the　sinister　dispatch。

〃Your　majesty　was　yesterday　pleased　to　say　that　Austria；　although
she　might　boast　of　the　active　support　of　Russia；　could　never　count
on　the　assistance　of　Prussia；　and　that　Prussia's　neutrality　was　as
useful　to　France　as　Russia's　active　support　to　Austria。〃

〃Why　do　you　repeat　the　words　I　uttered　yesterday？〃　asked　the
emperor；　impetuously。

〃Sire；　because　Prussia　is　no　longer　neutral；〃　said　Count　Stadion；
solemnly。

〃Because　Prussia　is　ready　to　become；　like　Russia　and　England；　the
active　ally　of　Austria；〃　added　Count　Giulay。

Napoleon's　flashing；　gloomy　eyes　looked　alternately　at　the　two
Austrian　envoys。

〃How　did　you　obtain　that　information？〃　he　asked　at　last。

〃Sire；　from　his　majesty　the　Emperor　of　Russia。　He　has　concluded　a
treaty　with　the　king　at　Potsdam；　by　which　Frederick　William　III。
declares　his　readiness　to　participate　in　the　campaign　and　to　assist
Austria；　unless　your　majesty　should　condescend　to　accept　the
conditions　which　the　King　of　Prussia　is　to　propose　as　mediator
between　the　coalition　and　France。〃

〃Ah；　the　King　of　Prussia　is　going　to　propose　conditions　to　me？〃
exclaimed　Napoleon；　shrugging　his　shoulders。　〃Do　you　know　those
conditions？〃

〃The　King　of　Prussia　will　propose　to　your　majesty　to　surrender　the
crown　of　Italy；　not　to　disturb　the　princes　of　Italy　in　their
possessions　and　independence；　to　recognize　the　independence　of　the
German　empire；　of　Holland；　of　Switzerland；　to〃

〃Enough！〃　said　Napoleon；　impatiently。　〃The　Emperor　Alexander　has
taken　the　liberty　to　tell　you　a　story；　and　your　credulity　must　have
greatly　delighted　him。　Can　you　seriously　believe　that　the　King　of
Prussia　would　in　his　infatuation　go　so　far　as　to　hope　that　I　should
accept　propositions　of　so　ridiculous　a　description？　Truly；　even　if　I
were　a　vanquished　and　humiliated　emperor；　I　should　stab　myself　with
my　own　sword　rather　than　submit　to　such　a　disgrace。　It　seems　I　have
not　yet　engraved　my　name　deeply　enough　into　the　marble　tablets　of
history；　and　I　shall　prove　to　these　overbearing　princes；　who　believe
their　legitimacy　to　be　the　Gorgon's　head　they　only　need　show　in
order　to　crush　meI　shall　prove　to　them　WHO　I　AM；　AND　TO　WHOM　the
future　belongs；　whether　to　THEM　or　to　ME！　However；　it　is　unnecessary
to　say　so　much　about　things　which　do　not　exist。〃

〃Sire；　the　treaty　of　Potsdam　DOES　exist；〃　said　Count　Stadion。　〃The
envoy　whom　the　King　of　Prussia　has　sent　off　to　lay　its　stiputions
before　your　majesty　would　have　reached　your　headquarters　already　if
he　had　travelled　as　rapidly　as　the　Emperor　Alexander；　who　left
Potsdam　simultaneously　with　him。〃

〃Well；　let　him　come；　I　shall　see；　then；　whether　you　have　told　me　a
story　or　not；〃　replied　Napoleon。　〃If　the　King　of　Prussia　has　dared
to　do　this；　by　God；　I　will　pay　him　for　it！　＇Footnote：　Napoleon's　own
words。Vide　Hormayer。　vol。　i。；　and　Hausser's　〃History　of　Germany；〃
vol。　ii。；　p。　680。＇　But　this　does　not　change　my　resolutions　and　plans
in　any　respect。　I　shall　enter　into　negotiations　with　Austria　only　on
condition　that　Russia　participates　in　them。　State　it　to　those　who
have　sent　you；　and　now　farewell。〃

He　nodded　to　the　two　gentlemen；　and　turning　his　back　to　them；
stepped　to　the　window。　Only　when　a　slight　jarring　of　the　door　told
him　that　they　had　withdrawn；　the　emperor　turned　around　and　commenced
again；　his　hands　folded　behind　his　back；　slowly　pacing　the　room。

He　then　stopped　before　the　large　table　in　the　middle　of　the　room；
and　unrolled　one　of　the　maps　lying　on　it。　It　was　a　map　of　southern
Germany。　After　spreading　it　on　the　table；　the　emperor　commenced
marking　it　with　pins；　the　variously…colored　heads　of　which
designated　the　different　armies　of　the　Russians；　Austrians；　and
French。

The　emperor　was　engaged　all　night　in　this　task；　in　studying　the　map；
and　in　measuring　and　calculating　the　distances　some　of　his　troops
would　have　to　march　before　reaching　the　field　of　action。　The　wax…
candles　in　the　silver　chandelier　burned　down；　but　he　did　not　notice
it；　the　fire　in　the　fireplace　had　gone　out；　but　he　did　not　feel　it；
the　door　of　his　cabinet　was　softly　opened　from　time　to　time；　and　the
pale　face　of　his　vale　de　chambre　Constant；　who　was　evidently
exhausted　with　long　waking；　appeared；　but　the　emperor　did　not　heed
it。　His　soul　was　concentrated　on　one　idea；　on　one　aim；　viz。；　to
pursue　the　glorious　course　of　his　victories；　to　humiliate　Germany　as
he　had　humiliated　Italy；　and　to　drown　the　echoes　of　Trafalgar　by　a
brilliant　triumph。

Morning　was　already　dawning；　when　Napoleon　at　length　rose　from　the
table　and　commenced　again　slowly　pacing　the　room。

〃Time；　time！〃　he　said；　〃I　only　need　three　days　for　moving　up　the
third　corps；　which　is　already　on　the　march　from　Bohemia。　Time！　And
yet　I　must　gain　a　great　and　brilliant　victory　before　Prussia　allies
herself　openly　with　Austria　and　Russia　against　France。　If　I　should
not　succeed　in　doing　so；　the　army　of　my　enemies　would　be　increased
by　one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　men。　Hence；〃　he　said；　after　a
pause；　quite　merrily　and　hopefully；　〃hence；　I　must　succeed。〃

He　returned　to　the　map　and　pointed　his　finger　at　it。

〃The　Austrians　are　over　there　at　Olmutz；〃　he　said；　quickly。　〃Here；
the　Russian　guards；　there；　the　united　corps　of　Kutusof　and
Buxhowden；　farther　on；　the　vanguard　under　Prince　Bagration。　If　they
should　advance　now　rapidly；　resolutely；　directly　toward　my　front；
the　odds　would　be　too　overwhelming；　if　they　should　tarry；　or　if　I
should　succeed　in　causing　them　to　hesitate　until　I　have　got　my
Bohemian　corps　in　line；　I　should　defeat　them。　Let　us　try　it；
therefore；　let　us　feign　inactivity　and　timidity；　so　that　they　may
not　become　active。　Cunning　is　the　best　ally　of　a　general；　let　us　try
to　deceive　them。〃

He　went　to　his　desk；　and　taking　some　gilt…edged　paper；　commenced
writing　rapidly。

Fifteen　minutes　later　an　orderly　requested　General　Savary　to　repair
to　the　emperor's　cabinet。

Napoleon　received　the　general　with　a　kindly　smile；　but　he　was
silent；　and　looked　almost　irresolutely　at　the　letter　he　held　in　his
hand。　Suddenly；　however；　he　seemed　to　come　to　a　firm　resolution；　and
handing　the　letter　to　Savary；　he　said：　〃Take　this　letter　to　Olmutz；
deliver　it　to　the　Emperor　of　Russia；　and　tell　him　that；　having
learned　that　he　had　arr