louisa of prussia and her times-第132节

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the　little　girls。　They　will　not　cry；　but　be　happy　to　see　their
beloved　father；　and　what　we　are　speaking　to　each　other　they　cannot
understand。　Come；　let　us　sit　down　here　on　the　small　sofa；　and　permit
me　to　place　the　screen　before　it；　then　I　am　sure　nobody　will　be　able
to　see　you。〃

She　conducted　Palm　to　the　small　sofa　in　the　corner　of　the　room；　and
placed　the　screen　as　noiselessly　as　possible　before　it。

〃So；〃　she　said；　nestling　in　his　arms；　〃now　we　are　here　as　if　in　a
little　cell；　where　only　God's　eye　can　find　us。　So　long　as　we　are　in
this　cell　I　shall　not　be　afraid。〃

〃I　believe　it　is　unnecessary　for　you　to　be　afraid　at　all；〃　said
Palm；　smiling。　〃We　carry　our　apprehensions　to　too　great　a　length；
you　may　depend　upon　it；　and　because　we　see　M。　Bonaparte　putting
whole　states　into　his　pocket；　we　believe　it　would　be　easy　for　him
likewise　to　put　a　respectable　citizen　and　bookseller　of　Nuremberg
into　it。　But；　be　it　spoken　between　us；　that　is　rather　a　haughty
idea；　and　M。　Bonaparte　has　to　attend　to　other　things　than　to　take
notice　of　a　bookseller　and　his　publications。　Remember；　my　child；
that　he　has　just　got　up　the　Confederation　of　the　Rhine；　and；
moreover；　is　said　to　be　preparing　for　a　war　with　Prussia。　How　should
he；　therefore；　have　time　to　think　of　a　poor　bookseller？〃

〃Do　you　think；　when　the　lion　is　going　to　meet　his　adversary　and　to
struggle　with　him；　he　will　leave　the　wasp　which　he　has　met　on　his
way；　and　which　has　stung　him　in　the　ear；　unpunished；　because　he　has
more　important　things　to　attend　to？〃

〃But　I　did　not　sting　him　at　all；〃　said　Palm；　smiling。　〃Let　us　calmly
consider　the　whole　affair；　dearest　Anna；　and　you　will　see　that　I
have　in　reality　noting　to　fear；　and　that　only　the　accursed　terror
which　this　M。　Bonaparte　has　struck　into　the　souls　of　all　Germans　has
caused　us　this　whole　alarm。　A　few　months　ago　I　received　by　mail；
from　a　person　unknown　to　me；　a　large　package　of　books；　enclosing　a
letter；　in　which　the　stranger　requested　me　to　send　the　copies　of　the
pamphlet　contained　in　the　package　immediately　to　all　German
booksellers；　and　to　give　it　as　wide　a　circulation　as　possible。　The
letter　contained　also　a　draft　for　one　thousand　florins；　drawn　by　a
banker　of　Vienna；　Baron　Franke；　on　a　wealthy　banking…house　of　our
city。　This　sum　of　one　thousand　florins；　said　the　letter；　was　to　be　a
compensation　for　my　trouble　and　for　the　zeal　with　which；　the　writer
stated；　he　felt　convinced　I　would　attend　to　the　circulation　of　the
pamphlet。〃

〃But　the　very　mystery　connected　with　the　whole　transaction　ought　to
have　aroused　your　suspicion；　my　beloved。〃

〃Why！　Are　not　we　Germans　now　under　the　unfortunate　necessity　of
keeping　secret　our　most　sublime　thoughts　and　our　most　sacred
sentiments？　And　ought　not；　therefore；　every　one　of　us　to　take　pains
to　honor　and　protect　this　secrecy；　instead　of　suspecting　it？〃

〃But　the　very　title　of　this　pamphlet　was　dangerous；　'Germany　in　her
Deepest　Degradation。'　You　might　have　guessed　whom　this　accusation
was　aimed　at。〃

〃At　Germany；　I　thought；　at　our　infamy　and　cowardice；　at　the　perfidy
of　our　princes；　at　the　torpid；　passive　indifference　of　our　people。
It　is　high　time　that　Germany；　which　is　now　tottering　about　like　a
somnambulist；　should　be　aroused　by　a　manful　word　from　her　slumber；
so　as　to　take　heart　again　and　draw　the　sword。　The　title　told　me　that
the　pamphlet　contained　such　words；　hence；　I　was　not　at　liberty　to
keep　it　out　of　circulation。　It　would　have　been　a　robbery　perpetrated
upon　Germany；　a　theft　perpetrated　upon　him　who　sent　me　the　money；
and　to　whom　I　could　not　return　it；　because　I　was　not　aware　of　his
name。〃

〃You　ought　to　have　thought　of　your　wife　and　your　children；〃　murmured
Anna；　sighing。

〃I　thought　of　you；〃　he　said；　tenderly；　〃hence；　I　did　not　read　the
pamphlet；　in　order　not　to　be　shaken　in　what　I　thought　my　duty。
First；　I　had　to　fulfil　my　duty　as　a　citizen　and　man　of　honor；　then
only　I　was　at　liberty　to　think　of　you　and　my　personal　safety。　I
sent；　therefore；　in　the　first　place；　a　certain　number　of　copies　of
the　pamphlet　to　M。　Stage；　the　bookseller；　and　requested　him　to
circulate　them　an　speedily　as　possible　among　his　customers。〃

〃And；　God　knows；　he　has　done　so；〃　sighed　Anna；　〃and；　like　you；　he
was　not　deterred　by　the　title。〃

〃He　did　his　duty；　like　myself；　and　sent　the　pamphlets　to　lovers　of
books。　In　this　manner　it　reached　a　preacher　in　the　country；　and
unfortunately　there　were　two　French　officers　at　his　house；　they
understood　German；　read　the　pamphlet；　and　informed　their　colonel　of
its　character。　The　latter　paid　a　visit　to　the　preacher；　and　learned
from　him　that　M。　Stage；　the　bookseller　of　Augsburg；　had　sent　him　the
pamphlet。　The　colonel　thereupon　repaired　to　Augsburg　and　saw　M。
Stage。〃

〃And　Stage　was　cowardly　and　perfidious　enough　to　betray　your　name
and　to　denounce　you　as　being　the　bookseller　who　had　sent　him　the
pamphlet；〃　exclaimed　Anna；　her　eyes　flashing　with　indignation。　〃Your
friend；　your　colleague　betrayed　you！〃

〃I　had　not　requested　him　not　to　mention　my　name；〃　said　Palm；
gravely；　〃he　had　a　right　to　name　it；　and　I　do　not　reproach　him　with
doing　so。　I　was　informed　that　the　French　minister　in　Munich　had
bitterly　complained　of　me　and　demanded　that　I　should　be　punished；
and　as　we　are　Bavarians　now；　I　hastened　to　Munich　in　order　to　defend
myself。〃

〃And　while　you　were　there；　four　strangers　came　hither；〃　Anna
interrupted　him。　〃They　asked　for　the　pamphlet；　penetrated　in　the
most　outrageous　manner；　in　spite　of　my　remonstrances；　into　your
store；　searched　it；　and　left　only　when　they　had　satisfied　themselves
that　not　a　copy　of　the　unfortunate　pamphlet　was　there。〃

〃You　wrote　this　to　me　while　I　was　in　Munich；　and　at　the　same　time　I
heard　that　Stage　had　been　arrested　in　Augsburg。　Impelled　by　my　first
terror；　I　fled　from　the　capital　and　hastened　to　Erlangen；　which　is
situated　on　Prussian　soil；　and　where　neither　the　Bavarian　police　nor
the　French　gens　d'armes　could　lay　hands　on　me。　But　in　Erlangen　I
reflected　on　the　matter；　and　I　confess　to　you　I　was　ashamed　of
having　fled；　instead　of　confronting　an　examination　openly　and
freely。　My　love；　my　yearning　attracted　me　toward　you；　I；　therefore；
took　carriage　last　night　and　rode　home　to　my　beloved　wife　and　to　my
children。　This　is　a　plain　statement　of　the　whole　affair；　and　now
tell　me　what　should　I　be　afraid　of？〃

〃You　may　fear　the　worst；〃　exclaimed　Anna；　sadly；　〃for　our　French
tyrants　will　not　shrink　from　any　thing。〃

〃But　fortunately　we　do　not　live　yet　under　the　French　sceptre；〃
replied　Palm；　vividly；　〃we　are　Germans；　and　only　German　laws　are
valid　for　us。〃

〃No；〃　said　Anna；　mournfully；　〃we　are　not　Germans；　but　Bavarians；
that　is　to　say；　the　allies；　the　humble　vassals　of　France。　Not　the
King　of　Bavaria；　but　the　Emperor　of　France；　is　ruling　over　us。〃

〃Well；　even　were　it　so；　I　could　not　see　what　crime　I　should　be
charged　with。　I　neither　wrote　nor　published　this　pamphlet；　I　merely
circulated　it；　and　cannot；　therefore；　be　held　responsible　for　its
contents。　Possibly；　they　may　arrest　me　as　they　have　arrested　Stage；
and　may　intend　thereby　to　compel　me　to　mention　the　name　of　him　who
sent　me　the　pamphlet；　as　Stage　mentioned　my　own　name。　Fortunately；
however；　I　am　able　to　prove　that　I　know　neither　the　author　nor　the
publisher；　for　I　have　got　the　best　proof；　of　it；　viz。；　the　letter
which　I　received　with　the　package。　I　shall　lay　this　letter　before
the　court；　and　the　judges　will　then　perceive　that　I　am　entirely
innocent。　What　will　remain　for　them　but　to　caution　me　not　to
circulate　henceforth　books　sent　to　me　anonymously；　and　then　to
release　me？〃

〃But　if　they　should　not　release　you；　my　beloved　husband？〃　asked　his
wife；　anxiously　clasping　him　in　her　arms；　〃if　in　their　rage　at　being
unable　to　lay　their　hands　on　the　real　criminal；　they　should　wreak
their　vengeance　on　you　for　having　circulated　the　pamphlet　first　of
all；　and　punish　you　as　though　you　were　its　author？〃

〃Oh；　you　go　too　far；〃　exclaimed　Palm；　laughing；　〃your　imagination
calls　up　before　you　horrors　which　belong　to　the　realm　of　fable。　We
still　live　in　a　well…regulated　state；　and　however　great　the
influence　of　France　may　be；　German　laws　are　still　valid　here；　and　as
we　live　in　a　state　of　peace；　I　can　be　judged　only　in　accordance　with
them。　Fear　not；　therefore；　dearest　wife。　The　worst　that　can　befall
me　will　be　a　separation　for　a　few　days；　at　the　most　for　a　few　weeks；
if　our　authorities　should　really　carry　their　fawning　submission　to
Bonaparte　to　such　a　length　as　to　call　a　German　citizen　to　account
for　having；　in　his　business　as　a　bookseller；　circulated　a　pamphlet
understand　me　well；　a　German　pamphlet；　destined　only　for　Germany；
and　which　does　not　flatter；　perhaps；　the　Emperor　of　the　French　quite
as　much　as　is　being　done　by　our　German　princes　and　our　German
governments。〃

〃Oh　my　God；　my　God；〃　wailed　Anna；　in　a　low　voice；　〃the　pamphlet　is
directly　aimed　at　Napoleon；　then？〃

〃Yes；　at　him　who　has　placed　his　heels　on　the　neck　of　Germany　and
trampled　her　in　the　dust；〃　exclaimed　Palm。　〃This　pamphlet；　called
'Germany　in　her　Deepest　Degradation；'　must　have　been　written　against
him　alone。　Oh；　during　the　days　of　my　sojourn　in　Erlangen；　I　have
read　this　pamphlet；　a