louisa of prussia and her times-第122节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


hastily　concealed　it　in　her　bosom。

Was　it；　perhaps；　a　dagger；　and　was　the　princess　a　modern　Judith；
going　to　kill　a　modern　Holofernes　in　her　voluptuous　arms？

The　footman　now　announced　that　Major　von　Brandt　was　waiting　for　the
princess　in　the　reception…room；　and　that　the　carriage　was　at　the
door。　A　slight　shudder　shook　the　whole　frame　of　the　princess；　and
her　cheeks　turned　even　paler　than　before。　She　ordered　the　foot…man
to　withdraw；　and　then　made　a　sign　to　Madame　Camilla　to　give　her　her
cloak　and　bonnet。　Camilla　obeyed　silently。　When　the　princess　was
ready　to　depart；　she　turned　to　Camilla；　and；　drawing　a　valuable
diamond　ring　from　her　finger；　she　handed　it　to　her。

〃Take　this　ring　as　a　souvenir　from　me；〃　she　said。　〃I　know　you　are　a
good　and　enthusiastic　Austrian；　like　myself；　you　hate　the　tyrant　who
wants　to　subjugate　us；　and　you　will　bless　the　hand　which　will　order
him　to　stop；　and　put　au　end　to　his　victorious　career。　Farewell〃

She　nodded　once　more　to　her　and　left　her　cabinet　to　go　to　the
reception…room；　where　Major　von　Brandt　was　waiting　for　her。

〃Come；〃　she　said；　hastily；　〃it　is　high　time。　I　hope　you　have　got　a
watch　with　you；　so　as　to　be　able　to　count　the　minutes。〃

〃Yes；　your　highness；〃　said　Major　von　Brandt；　smiling；　〃I　have　got　my
watch　with　me；　and　I　shall　have　the　honor　of　showing　it　to　you
before　you　enter　the　imperial　cabinet。〃

Marianne　made　no　reply；　but　rapidly　crossed　the　room　to　go　down…
stairs　to　the　carriage　waiting　at　the　door。　Major　von　Brandt
hastened　after　her　and　offered　his　arm　to　her。

Madame　Camilla；　who　had　not　lost　a　single　word　of　her　short
conversation　with　Major　von　Brandt；　followed　the　princess
downstairs；　and　remained　standing　humbly　at　the　foot　of　it　till　the
princess　and　her　companion　had　entered　the　carriage　and　the　coach
door　had　been　closed。

But　no　sooner　had　the　brilliant　carriage　of　the　princess　rolled　out
of　the　court…yard　in　front　of　her　mansion；　than　Madame　Camilla
hastened　into　the　street；　entered　a　hack；　and　ordered　the　coachman
to　drive　her　to　the　residence　of　the　French　governor　as　fast　as　his
horses　could　run。




CHAPTER　LII。

NAPOLEON　AND　THE　PRUSSIAN　MINISTER。


Napoleon　had　left　Austerlitz；　and　had；　for　some　days；　again　resided
at　Schonbrunn。　The　country　palace　of　the　great　empress　Maria　Theresa
was　now　the　abode　of　him　who　had　driven　her　grandson　from　his
capital；　defeated　his　army；　and　was　just　about　to　dictate　a　peace　to
him；　the　terms　of　which　would　be　equivalent　to　a　fresh　defeat　of
Austria　and　a　fresh　victory　for　France。　The　plenipotentiaries　of
Austria　and　France　were　already　assembled　at　Presburg　to　conclude
this　treaty；　and　every　hour　couriers　reached　Schonbrunn；　who
reported　to　the　emperor　the　progress　of　the　negotiations　and
obtained　further　instructions　from　him。

But　while　Austria　now；　after　the　disastrous　battle　of　the　2d　of
December；　was　treating　with　Napoleon　about　the　best　terms　of　peace；
the　Prussian　envoy；　Count　Haugwitz；　who　was　to　deliver　to　Napoleon
the　menacing　declaration　of　Prussia；　was　still　on　the　road；　or；　at
least；　had　not　been　able　to　lay　his　dispatch　before　the　emperor。

Prussia　demanded；　in　this　dispatch；　which　had　been　approved　by
Russia；　that　Napoleon　should　give　up　Italy　and　Holland；　and
recognize　the　independence　of　both　countries；　as　well　as　that　of
Germany。　Prussia　gave　France　a　month's　time　to　take　this　proposition
into　consideration；　and　if　it　should　be　declined；　then　Prussia　would
declare　war　against　the　Emperor　Napoleon。

This　month　had　expired　on　the　15th　of　December；　and；　as　previously
stated；　Count　Haugwitz　had　not　yet　succeeded　in　delivering　his
dispatch　to　the　Emperor　Napoleon。

It　is　true；　he　had　set　out　from　Berlin　on　the　6th　of　November；　but
the　noble　count　liked　to　travel　as　comfortably　as　possible；　and　to
repose　often　from　the　hardships　of　the　journey。　He　had；　therefore；
travelled　every　day　but　a　few　miles；　and　stopped　several　days　in
every　large　city　through　which　he　had　passed。　Vainly　had　Minister
von　Hardenberg　and　the　Russian　and　Austrian　ministers　in　Berlin　sent
courier　upon　courier　after　him；　in　order　to　induce　him　to　accelerate
his　journey。

Count　Haugwitz　declared　himself　unable　to　travel　any　faster；　because
he　was　afraid　of　stating　that　he　was　unwilling　to　do　so。

Now；　he　was　unwilling　to　travel　any　faster；　because　the　message；　of
which　he　was　the　bearer；　was　a　most　oppressive　burden　to　him；　and
because　he　felt　convinced　that　the　energetic　genius；　by　some　rapid
and　crushing　victory；　would　upset　all　treaties；　change　all
standpoints；　and　thereby　render　it　unnecessary　for　him　to　deliver　to
him　a　dispatch　of　so　harsh　and　hostile　a　description。

Thanks　to　his　system　of　delay；　Count　Haugwitz　had　succeeded　in
obtaining　a　first　interview　with　Napoleon　on　the　day　before　the
battle　of　Austerlitz。　But　instead　of　presenting　the　ominous　note　to
the　emperor；　he　had　contented　himself；　after　the　fashion　of　a
genuine　courtier；　with　offering　incense　to　the　great　conqueror；　and
Napoleon　had　prevented　him　from　transacting　any　business　by　putting
off　all　negotiations　with　him　until　after　the　great　battle。

After　the　battle　of　Austerlitz；　the　emperor　had　received　the　envoy
of　the　King　of　Prussia　at　Schonbrunn；　and　granted　him　the　longed…for
audience。　Napoleon　greeted　him　in　an　angry　voice；　and　reproached　him
violently　for　having　affixed　his　name　to　the　treaty　of　Potsdam。　But
Haugwitz　had　managed；　by　his　skilful　politeness；　to　appease　the
emperor's　wrath；　and　to　regain　his　favor。　Since　then　Count　Haugwitz
had　been　at　Schonbrunn　every　day；　and　Napoleon　had　always　received
him　with　especial　kindness　and　affability。　For　the　emperor；　who　knew
very　well　that　Austria　was　still　hoping　for　an　armed　intervention　by
Prussia；　wished　to　delay　his　decision；　as　to　the　fate　of　Prussia　at
least；　until　he　had　made　peace　with　Austria。　Only　when　he　had
trampled　Austria　under　foot；　he　would　think　of　chastising　Prussia
for　her　recent　arrogance；　and　to　humiliate　her　as　he　had　hitherto
humiliated　all　his　enemies。　Hence　he　had　received　Count　Haugwitz
every　day；　and　succeeded　gradually　and　insensibly　in　winning　him　for
his　plans。　Today；　on　the　13th　of　December；　Count　Haugwitz　had
repaired　to　Schonbrunn　to　negotiate　with　Napoleon。　He　wore　his　full
court…costume；　and　was　adorned　with　the　grand　cordon　of　the　Legion
of　Honor；　which　he　had　received　a　year　ago；　and　which　the　Prussian
minister　seemed　to　wear　with　especial　predilection。

Napoleon　received　the　count　in　the　former　drawing…room　of　Maria
Theresa；　which　had　now　become　Napoleon's　study。　On　a　large　round
table　in　the　centre　of　the　room；　there　lay　maps；　dotted　with
variously　colored　pins；　the　green　pins　designated　the　route　fixed　by
Napoleon　for　the　retreat　of　the　Russian　army；　the　dark…yellow　pins
surrounded　the　extreme　boundaries　of　Austria；　and　according　to　the
news　which　Napoleon　received　from　Presburg；　and　which　informed　him
of　constantly　new　concessions　made　by　the　Austrian
plenipotentiaries；　who　declared　their　willingness　to　cede　several
provinces；　he　changed　the　position　of　these　pins；　which　embraced
every　day　a　more　contracted　space；　while　the　blue　pins；　designating
the　boundaries　of　Bavaria；　advanced　farther　and　farther；　and　the　red
pins；　representing　the　armies　of　France；　seemed　to　multiply　on　the
map。

Napoleon；　however；　was　not　engaged　in　studying　his　maps　when　Count
Haugwitz　entered　his　room；　but　he　was　seated　at　the　desk　placed
close　to　the　table　with　the　maps；　and　seemed　to　write　assiduously。
On　the　raised　back　part　of　this　desk　the　busts　of　Frederick　the
Great　and　Maria　Theresa　had　been　placed。　Napoleon　sometimes；　when　he
ceased　writing；　raised　his　gloomy　eyes　to　them；　and　then　it　seemed
as　though　these　three　heads；　the　two　marble　busts　and　the　marble
head　of　Napoleon；　bent　threateningly　toward　each　other；　as　though
the　flashes　bursting　from　Napoleon's　eyes　kindled　the　fire　of　life
and　anger　in　the　marble　eyes　of　the　empress　and　the　great　king；
their　frowning　brows　seemed　to　ask　him　then；　by　virtue　of　what　right
the　son　of　the　Corsican　lawyer　had　taken　a　seat　between　their　two
crowned　heads；　and　driven　the　legitimate　Emperor　of　Austria　from　the
house　of　his　fathers。

When　Count　Haugwitz　entered；　Napoleon　cast　the　pen　impetuously　aside
and　rose。　He　saluted　the　count；　who　bowed　to　him　deeply　and
respectfully；　with　a　pleasant　nod。

〃You　are　there；〃　said　the　emperor；　kindly；　〃and　it　is　very　lucky。　I
was　extremely　impatient　to　see　you。〃

〃Lucky？〃　asked　Count　Haugwitz；　with　the　inimitable　smile　of　a　well…
bred　courtier。　〃Lucky；　sire？　It　seems　to　me　as　though　there　were
neither　luck　nor　ill…luck　in　the　world；　nay；　I　am　now　more　than　ever
convinced　of　it。　Have　not　I　heard　men　say　more　than　a　hundred　times；
'He　is　lucky！　he　is　lucky！'　Since　I　have　made　the　acquaintance　of
the　great　man　who　owes　every　thing　to　himself；　I　have　become
convinced　that　luck　should　not　be　taken　into　consideration；　and　that
it　is　of　no　consequence。〃

Napoleon　smiled。　〃You　are　a　most　adroit　and　well…bred　cavalier　and
courtier；〃　he　said；　〃but　it　is　a　rule　of　wisdom　for　princes　not　to
repose　any　confidence　in　the　words　of　courtiers　and　flatterers；　but
always　to　tr