louisa of prussia and her times-第128节

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trembling　lips　and　pale　cheeks。　Marianne　apparently　did　not　see　her
at　all；　and　walked　coldly　and　proudly　down　the　corridor　leading　to
her　rooms。

She　ordered　the　maids；　who　received　her　in　her　dressing…room；　with
an　imperious　wave　of　her　hand；　to　withdraw；　and　when　they　had　left
the　room　she　locked　the　door　behind　them。　She　then　went　with　rapid
steps　to　the　boudoir　contiguous　to　the　dressing…room；　and　here；
where　she　was　sure　that　no　one　could　see　or　overhear　her；　she
allowed　the　proud　mask　to　glide　from　her　face；　and　showed　its
boundless　despair。　With　a　loud　shriek　of　anguish　she　sank　on　her
knees　and　raising　her　folded　hands　to　heaven；　cried；　in　the　wailing
notes　of　terrible　grief：

〃Oh；　my　God；　my　God！　let　me　succumb　to　this　disgrace。　Have　mercy　on
me；　and　let　me　die！〃

But　after　long　hours　of　struggling　and　despair；　of　lamentations　and
curses；　Marianne　rose　again　from　her　knees　with　defiant　pride　and
calm　energy。

〃No；〃　she　muttered；　〃I　must　not；　will　not　die！　Life　has　still　claims
on　me；　and　the　secret　league；　of　which　I　have　become　the　first
member；　imposes　on　me　the　duty　of　living　and　working　in　its　service。
I　was　unable　to　strike　the　tyrant　with　my　dagger；　well；　then；　we
must　try　to　kill　him　gradually　by　means　of　pin…pricks。　Such　a　pin…
prick　is　the　manuscript　which　Gentz　has　intrusted　to　me　in　order　to
have　it　published　and　circulated　throughout　Germany。　Somewhere　a
printing…office　will　be　found　to　set　up　this　manuscript　with　its
types；　I　will　seek　for　it；　and　pay　the　weight　of　its　types　in　gold。〃

Early　next　morning　the　travelling…coach　of　the　princess　stood　at　the
door；　and　Marianne；　dressed　in　a　full　travelling…costume；　prepared
for　immediate　departure。　She　had　spent　the　whole　night　in　arranging
her　household　affairs。　Now　every　thing　was　done；　every　thing　was
arranged　and　ready；　and　when　about　to　descend　the　staircase；　the
princess　turned　around　to　Madame　Camilla；　who　followed　her　humbly。

〃Madame；〃　she　said；　coldly　and　calmly；　〃you　will　be　kind　enough　to
leave　my　house　this　very　hour；　in　order　to　write　your　diary
somewhere　else。　The　French　governor　of　Vienna　will　assign　to　you；
perhaps；　a　place　with　his　MOUCHARDS；　go；　therefore；　to　him；　and
never　dare　again　to　enter　my　house。　My　steward　has　received
instructions　from　me；　he　will　pay　you　your　wages；　and　see　to　it　that
you　will　leave　the　house　within　an　hour。　Adieu！〃

Without　vouchsafing　to　glance　at　Madame　Camilla；　she　descended　the
staircase　calmly　and　haughtily；　and　entered　her　carriage；　which
rolled　through　the　lofty　portal　of　the　court…yard　with　thundering
noise。




CHAPTER　LIV。

THE　FALL　OF　THE　GERMAN　EMPIRE。


The　peace　of　Presburg　had　been　concluded；　it　had　deprived　Austria　of
her　best　provinces。

The　offensive　and　defensive　alliance　between　Prussia　and　France　had
been　signed；　it　had　deprived　Prussia　of　the　principalities　of
Cleves；　Berg；　and　Neufchatel。

Germany；　therefore；　had　reason　enough　in　the　beginning　of　1806　to
mourn　and　complain；　for　her　princes　had　been　humiliated　and
disgraced；　her　people　had　to　bear　with　their　princes　the　ignominy　of
degradation　and　dependence。

Germany；　however；　seemed　to　be　joyful　and　happy；　festivals　were
being　celebrated　everywherefestivals　in　honor　of　the　Emperor
Napoleon　and　his　family；　festivals　of　love　and　happiness。

After　the　victory　Napoleon　had　obtained　at　Austerlitz　over　the　two
emperors；　after　the　conclusion　of　the　treaty　of　Presburg　and　the
alliance　with　Prussia；　all　causes　of　war　with　Germany　seemed
removed；　and　Napoleon　laid　his　sword　aside　in　order　to　repose　on　his
laurels　in　the　bosom　of　his　family；　and；　instead　of　founding　new
states；　to　bring　about　marriages　between　his　relations　and　the
scions　of　German　sovereignsmarriages　which　were　to　draw　closer　the
links　of　love　and　friendship　uniting　France　with　Germany；　and　to
make　all　Germany　the　obedient　son…in…law　and　vassal　of　the　Emperor
of　France。

In　Munich；　the　wedding…bells　which　made　Napoleon　the　father…in…law
of　a　German　dynasty；　were　first　rung。　In　Munich；　in　the　beginning　of
1806；　Eugene　Beauharnais；　Napoleon's　adopted　son；　was　married　to　the
beautiful　and　noble　Princess　Amelia　of　Bavaria；　daughter　of
Maximilian；　Elector　of　Bavaria；　who；　by　the　grace　of　Napoleon；　had
become　King　of　Bavaria；　as　Eugene；　by　the　same　grace；　had　become
Viceroy　of　Italy。

All　Bavaria　was　jubilant　with　delight　at　the　new　and　most　fortunate
ties　uniting　the　German　state　with　France；　all　Bavaria　felt　honored
and　happy　when　the　Emperor　Napoleon；　with　his　wife　Josephine；　came
to　Munich　to　take　part　in　the　wedding…ceremonies。　Festivals　followed
each　other　in　quick　succession　in　Munich；　only　happy　faces　were　to
be　seen　there；　only　jubilant　shouts；　laughter；　and　merry　jests　were
to　be　heard；　and　whenever　Napoleon　appeared　in　the　streets　or　showed
himself　on　the　balcony　of　the　palace；　the　people　received　him　with
tremendous　cheers；　and　waved　their　hats　at　the　emperor；　regardless
of　the　blood　and　tears　he　had　wrung　but　a　few　days　before　from
another　German　state。

No　sooner　had　the　wedding…bells　ceased　ringing　in　Munich　than　they
commenced　resounding　in　Carlsruhe；　for　Napoleon　wanted　there；　too；
to　become　the　father…in…law　of　another　German　dynasty；　and　the　niece
of　Josephine；　Mademoiselle　Stephanie　de　Beauharnais；　married　the
heir　of　the　Elector　of　Baden；　who　now；　by　the　grace　of　Napoleon；
became　Grand…duke　of　Baden。

And　to　the　merry　notes　of　the　wedding…bells　of　Munich　and　Carlsruhe；
were　soon　added　the　joyful　sound　of　the　bells　which　announced　to
Germany　the　rise　of　a　new　sovereign　house　within　her　borders；　and
inaugurated　the　elevation　of　the　brother…in…law　of　the　Emperor　of
France　to　the　dignity　of　a　sovereign　German　prince。　Those　solemn
bells　resounded　in　Cleves　and　Berg；　and　did　homage　to　Joachim　Murat；
who；　by　the　grace　of　Napoleon；　had　become　Grand…duke　of　Berg。
Prussia　and　Bavaria　had　to　furnish　the　material　for　this　new
princely　cloak；　Prussia　had　given　the　larger　portion　of　it；　the
Duchy　of　Cleves；　and　Bavaria；　grateful　for　so　many　favors；　had　added
to　it　the　principality　of　Berg；　so　that　these　two　German　states
together　formed　a　nice　grand…duchy　for　the　son　of　the　French
innkeeperfor　Joachim　Murat；　for　the　brother…in…law　of　the　French
emperor。

And　when　the　joyful　sounds　had　died　away　in　Munich；　Carlsruhe；　and
the　new　grand…duchy　of　Berg；　they　resounded　again　in　Stuttgart；　for
in　that　capital　the　betrothal　of　Jerome；　youngest　brother　of
Napoleon；　and　of　a　daughter　of　the　Elector　of　Wurtemberg；　who　now；
by　the　grace　of　Napoleon；　had　become　King　of　Wurtemberg；　was
celebrated。　It　is　true　Jerome；　the　emperor's　brother；　wore　no　crown
as　yet；　it　is　true　this　youngest　son　of　the　Corsican　lawyer　had
hitherto　been　nothing　but　an　〃imperial　prince　of　France；〃　but　his
royal　father…in…law　of　Wurtemberg　felt　convinced　that　his　august
brother；　Napoleon；　would　endow　the　husband　of　his　daughter　in　a
becoming　manner；　and　place　some　vacant　or　newly…to…be…created　crown
on　his　head。　Napoleon；　moreover；　had　just　then　endowed　his　elder
brother　Joseph　in　such　a　manner；　and　made　him　King　of　Naples；　after
solemnly　declaring　to　Europe　in　a　manifesto；　that　〃the　dynasty　of
Naples　had　ceased　to　reign；　and　that　the　finest　country　on　earth　was
to　be　delivered　at　length　from　the　yoke　of　the　most　perfidious
persons。〃　And　in　accordance　with　his　word；　Napoleon　had　overthrown
the　Neapolitan　dynasty；　expelled　King　Ferdinand　and　Queen　Caroline
from　their　capital；　and　placed　his　brother　Joseph　on　the　throne　of
Naples。　＇Footnote：　Napoleon　rewarded　his　generals　and　ministers；
besides；　with　duchies；　which　he　created　for　them　in　Italy；　and　the
rich　revenues　of　which　he　assigned　to　them。　Thus　Marmont　became　Duke
of　Ragusa；　Mortier；　Duke　of　Treviso；　Bessieres；　Duke　of　Istria；
Savary；　Duke　of　Rovigo；　Lannes；　Duke　of　Montebello；　Bernadotte；
Prince　of　Pontecorvo；　Talleyrand；　Prince　of　Benevento；　Fouche；　Duke
of　Otranto；　Maret；　Duke　of　Bassano；　Soult；　Duke　of　Dalmatia；
Berthier；　Prince　of　Neufchatel；　Duroc；　Duke　of　Frioul；　etc。＇

Hence；　the　King　of　Wurtemberg　was　not　afraid；　he　was　sure　that
Napoleon　would　discover　somewhere　a　falling　crown　for　his　brother
Jerome；　and　give　to　the　daughter　of　the　most　ancient　German　dynasty
a　position　worthy　of　the　honor　of　her　house。

But　the　joyful　bells　were　not　only　rung　in　Germany；　they　resounded
also　from　the　borders　of　Holland；　which　now；　by　the　grace　of
Napoleon；　had　become　a　kingdom；　and　to　which；　again　by　the　grace　of
Napoleon；　a　king　had　been　given；　in　the　person　of　Louis；　another
brother　of　the　Emperor　of　France。　They　resounded；　too；　from　Italy；
where；　in　this　blessed　year　of　1806；　so　productive　of　new　crowns；　on
one　day；　March　30；　1806；　suddenly　twelve　duchies　sprang　from　the
ground　and　placed　as　many　ducal　crowns　on　the　heads　of　Napoleon's
friends　and　comrades。

The　year　of　1806；　therefore；　was　a　blessed　and　happy　year；　joy　and
exultation　reigned　everywhere；　and　Napoleon　was　the　author　of　all
this　happiness。

Still　there　was　in　the　German　empire　a　city　which；　in　spite　of　all
these　recent　festivals　and　demonstrations　of　satisfaction；
maintained　a　grave　and　gloomy　aspect；　and　apparently　took　no　part
whatever　in　th