louisa of prussia and her times-第118节

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contemptible　men　will　submit　to　any　thing；　provided　he　gives　up
Vienna。　Finance…minister　Fichy　said　to　me　in　Olmutz　yesterday；
'Peace　will　be　cheap；　if　we　have　merely　to　cede　the　Tyrol；　Venice；
and　a　portion　of　Upper　Austria；　and　we　should　be　content　with　such
terms。'　Ah；　if　THEY　could　only　be　got　rid　of；　what　a　splendid　thing
the　fall　of　the　monarchy　would　he！　But　to　lose　the　provinces；　honor；
Germany；　Europe；　and　to　KEEP　Fichy；　Ungart；　Cobenzl；　Collenbach；
Lamberti；　Dietrichsteinno　satisfaction；　no　revenge？…not　a　single
one　of　the　dogs　hung　or　quartered；it　is　impossible　to　digest
THAT！〃　＇Footnote：　Gentz's　own　words。Vide　his　〃Correspondence　with
Johannes　von　Muller；〃　p。　155。＇

〃It　is　true；〃　said　Marianne；　musingly；　and　in　a　low　voice；　〃this　is
a　boundless　disgrace；　and　if　men　will　submit　to　it；　and　bow　their
heads；　it　is　time　for　women　to　raise　theirs；　and　to　become　lionesses
in　order　to　tear　the　enemy　opposing　them！　And　what　do　you　intend
doing　now；　my　friend？〃　she　then　asked　aloud；　forcibly　dispelling　her
painful　emotions。　〃What　are　your　prospects？　What　plan　of　battle　will
you　draw　up　for　us？〃

〃I　have　no　prospects　at　all；　and　I　have　given　up　drawing　plans　of
battle；〃　said　Gentz；　sighing。　〃After　exhausting　my　last　strength　for
five　days　during　my　sojourn　in　Olmutz；　I　am　done　with　every　thing；
and　I　have　withdrawn　weary　and　satiated　ad　nauseam。　Our　ministers
have　gone　to　Presburg；　for　the　purpose　of　negotiating　there　with　the
plenipotentiaries　of　Bonaparte　about　the　terms　of　peace。〃

〃And　where　is　he　at　presentwhere　is　the　proud　triumphator？〃　asked
Marianne；　hastily。

〃He　left　Austerlitz　to…night；　and　will　reside　again　at　Schonbrunn。
until　peace　has　been　concluded。〃

〃Ah；　in　Schonbrunn！〃　said　Marianne；　〃that　is　to　say；　here　in　Vienna。
And　you；　Frederick；　will　you　remain　here；　too？〃

〃After　making　peace；　they　will　banish　me；　of　course；　from　Vienna；
for　Bonaparte　knows　my　hatred　against　him；　and　moreover；　he　knows　it
to　be　implacable。　Hence；　I　prefer　going　voluntarily　into　exile；　and
shall　repair　to　Breslau；　where　I　shall　find　plenty　of　friends　and
acquaintances。　There　I　will　live；　amuse　myself；　be　a　man　like　all　of
them；　that　is　to　say；　gratify　nothing　but　my　egotism；　and　take　rest
after　so　many　annoyances　and　struggles。〃

〃That　cannot　be　truethat　cannot　be　possible！〃　exclaimed　Marianne；
ardently。　〃A　patriot；　a　man　like　you；　does　not　repose　and　amuse
himself；　while　his　country　is　plunged　into　misery　and　disgrace。　I
repeat　to　you　what　Arnauld　said　to　his　friend　Nicole；　when　the
latter；　tired　of　the　struggle　for　Jansenism；　declared　to　him　that　he
would　retire　and　repose：　'Vous　reposer！　Eh！　n'avez…vous　pas　pour
vous　reposer　V'eternite　toute　enliere？'　If　those　men　were　filled
with　so　undying　an　enthusiasm　for　an　insipid　quarrel　about　mere
sophistries；　how　could　you　take　rest；　since　eternity　itself；　whether
it　be　repose　or　motion；　offers　nothing　more　sublime　than　a　struggle
for　the　liberty　and　dignity　of　the　world？〃

〃God　bless　you　for　these　words；　Marianne！〃　exclaimed　Gentz；
enthusiastically；　while　he　embraced　his　friend　passionately；　and
imprinted　a　glowing　kiss　on　her　forehead。　〃Oh；　Marianne；　I　only
wished　to　try　you；　I　wanted　to　see　whether；　with　the　ardor　of　your
love　for　me；　the　ardor　of　the　holy　cause　represented　by　me；　had　also
left　you；　I　only　wanted　to　know　whether；　now　that　you　love　me　no
longer〃　　〃And　how　can　you　say　that　I　love　you　no　longer？〃　she
interrupted　him。　〃Have　I　deserved　so　bitter　a　reproach？〃

〃It　is　no　reproach；　Marianne；〃　said　Gentz；　mournfully；　〃you　have
paid　your　tribute　to　the　vacillating；　changeable；　and　fickle
organization　peculiar　to　every　living　creature；　and　so　have　I；
perhaps。　We　are　all　perishable；　and　hence　our　feelings　must　be
perishable　also。　Above　all；　love　is　a　most　precious；　fragrant；　and
enchanting　rose；　but　its　life　lasts　but　a　day；　and　then　it　withers。
Happy　are　those；　therefore；　who　have　improved　this　day　and　enjoyed
the　beauty　of　the　rose；　and　passionately　inhaled　its　fragrance。　We
did　so；　Marianne；　and　when　we　now　look　back　to　our　day　of　blissful
love；　we　may　say；　'It　was　delightful　and　intoxicating；　and　with　its
memories　it　will　shed　a　golden；　sunny　lustre　over　our　whole　life。'
Let　us　not　revile　it；　therefore；　for　having　passed　away；　and　let　us
not　be　angry　with　ourselves　for　not　being　able　to　prolong　it。　The
rose　has　faded；　but　the　stem；　from　which　it　burst　forth；　must　remain
to　us；　it　is　our　immortal　part。　That　stem　is　the　harmony　of　our
sentiments；　it　is　the　consonance　of　our　ideas；　in　short；　the　seeds
of　friendship　have　ripened　in　the　withered　flower　of　our　love。　I
have　not；　therefore；　come　to　you；　Marianne；　to　seek　for　my　beloved；
but　to　find　my　friend？　the　friend　who　understands　me；　who　shares　my
views；　my　grief；　my　despair；　and　my　rage；　and　who　is　ready　to　aspire
with　me　to　one　goal；　and　to　seek　with　me　for　it　in　one　way。　This
goal　is　the　deliverance　of　Germany　from　the　chains　of　slavery。〃

〃Above　all；　the　annihilation　of　the　tyrant　who　wants　to　enslave　us！〃
exclaimed　Marianne；　with　flashing　eyes。　〃Tell　me　the　way　leading　to
that　goal；　I　will　enter　it；　even　if　it　should　be　necessary　for　me　to
walk　on　thorns　and　pointed　swords！〃

〃The　goal　lies　before　us　clearly　and　distinctly；〃　said　Gentz；　sadly；
〃but　the　way　leading　to　it　is　still　obstructed；　and　so　narrow　and
low　that　we　are　compelled；　for　the　time　being；　to　advance　very
slowly　on　our　knees。　But　we　must　take　spades　and　work；　so　that　the
way　may　become　wider　and　higher；　and　that　we　may　walk　on　it　one　day；
not　with　bowed　heads；　but　drawn　up　to　our　full　height；　our　eyes
flashing；　and　sword　in　hand。　Let　us　prepare　for　that　day；　let　us
work　in　the　dark　shaft；　and　other　laborers　will　join　us；　and；　like
us；　take　spades　and　dig；　and　in　the　dead　of　night；　with　curses　on
our　lips　and　prayers　in　our　hearts；　we　will　dig　on；　dig　like　moles；
until　we　have　finally　reached　our　goal；　and　burst　forth　into　the
sunshine　of　the　day　which　will　restore　liberty　to　Germany。　At　the
present　time；　Secret　societies　may　become　very　useful。　I　always
hated　and　despised　whatever　bore　that　name；　but　necessity　knows　no
law；　and　now　I　am　obliged　to　hail　them　as　the　harbingers　of　a
blessed　future。　＇Footnote：　Gentz's　own　words。Vide
〃Correspondence；〃　etc。；　p。　163。＇　Like　the　first　church；　the　great
secret　society　of　Germany　ought　to　be　enthusiastic；　self…reliant；
and　thoroughly　organized；　its　aim　ought　to　be　the　destruction　of
Bonaparte's　tyranny；　reconstruction　of　the　states；　restoration　of
the　legitimate　sovereigns；　introduction　of　a　better　system　of
government；　and；　last；　everlasting　resistance　to　the　principles
which　have　brought　about　our　indifference；　prostration；　and
meanness。　And　now；　Marianne；　I　come　to　ask　you　as　the　worthiest
patriot；　as　the　most　intrepid　and　generous　man　I　know　and　revere
Marianne；　will　you　join　this；　secret　society？〃

He　gave　her　his　hand　with　a　glance　full　of　the　most　profound
emotion；　and　she　returned　his　glance　with　her　large；　open　eyes；
warmly　grasping　his　hand。

〃I　will；　so　help　me　God！〃　she　said；　solemnly；　〃I　will　join　your
secret　society；　and　I　will　travel　around　and　win　over　men　to　our
league。　I　will　seek　for　catacombs　where　we　may　pray；　and　exhort；　and
encourage　each　other　to　struggle　on　with　unflagging　zeal。　I　will
enlist　brethren　and　adherents　in　all　circles；　in　the　highest　as　well
as　in　the　lowest；　and　the　peasant　as　well　as　the　prince；　the
countess　as　well　as　the　citizen's　wife；　shall　become　brethren　and
sisters　of　the　holy　covenant；　the　aim　of　which　is　to　be　the
deliverance　of　Germany　from　the　tyrant's　yoke。　My　activity　and　zeal
to　promote　the　good　work　you　have　begun　shall　prove　to　you；　my
friend；　whether　I　love　you　still；　and　whether　my　mind　has
comprehended　you。〃

〃I　counted　on　your　mind；　Marianne；　after　I　ceased　building　my　hopes
on　your　heart！〃　exclaimed　Gentz；　〃and　I　was　not　mistaken。　Your　mind
has　comprehended　me；　it　is　the　same　as　mine。　Let　us；　therefore；　go
to　work　with　joyful　courage　and　make　our　first　steps　forward。　The
time　when　there　was　still　a　hope　that　the　sword　might　save　our　cause
is　past；　the　sword　lies　broken　at　our　feet。　Now　we　have　two　weapons
left；　but　they　are　no　less　sharp；　cutting；　and　fatal　than　the
sword。〃

〃These　weapons　are　the　tongue　and　the　pen？〃　said　Marianne；　smiling。

〃Yes；　you　have　understood　me；〃　said　Gentz；　joyfully；　〃these　are　our
weapons。　You；　my　beautiful　comrade；　will　wield　one　of　these　weapons；
the　tongue；　and　I　shall　wield　the　other；　the　pen。　And　I　have　already
commenced　doing　so；　and　written　in　the　sleepless　nights　of　these
last　few　days　a　pamphlet　which　I　should　like　to　flit；　like　a　pigeon；
over　Germany；　so　that　everywhere　it　may　be　seen；　understood　and
appreciated。　The　title　of　this　pamphlet　is　Germany　in　her　Deepest
Degredation。　It　is　an　outcry　of　my　grief；　by　which　I　intend　arousing
the　German　people；　so　that　they　may　wake　up　at　last　from　their　long
torpor；　seize　the　sword　and　rise　in　the　exuberance　of　their　vigor
for　the　purpose　of　expelling　the　tyrant。　But；　alas！　where　shall　I
find　one　who　will　dare　to　print　it；　a　censor　who　will　not　expunge
its　most　powerful　passages；　and；　finally；　book…sellers　who　will
venture　to　offer　so