louisa of prussia and her times-第75节

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of　his　considerable　property　he　left　to　his　brother；　asking　him　to
agree　with　the　Princess　Marianne　on　a　pension　corresponding　with　her
rank　and　position　in　society。　Then　followed　some　legacies　and
pensions　for　the　old　servants　of　his　household；　a　few　gifts　to　the
poor；　and　last　the　appropriation　of　a　sum　for　which　a　mass　was　to　be
read　on　every　anniversary　of　his　death；　for　the　peace　of　his　soul。
The　ceremony　was　over。　The　officers　of　the　law　and　the　members　of
the　embassy　had　left　the　death…room；　and　on　a　sign　from　Marianne　the
servants　had　also　withdrawn。

The　prince　had　exchanged　a　few　words　in　a　low　voice　with　his　two
lawyers；　whereupon　they　likewise　had　left　the　room。　No　one　except
the　brother　and　the　wife　of　the　deceased　remained　now　in　this　gloomy
room；　illuminated　by　the　flickering　tapers。　Marianne；　however；
seemed　to　take　no　notice　of　the　presence　of　her　brother…in…law；　she
had　approached　the　corpse　again；　and　gazed　at　it　with　the　most
profound　emotion。

〃I　thank　you；　Henry；〃　she　said；　loudly　and　solemnly。　〃I　thank　you
from　the　bottom　of　my　heart；　you　have　given　back　to　me　my　honor；　you
have　revenged　me　upon　your　haughty　relatives；　and　upon　the　sneering
world。〃

〃Do　not　thank　him；　respected　sister…in…law；　for　he　has　left　you
poor；〃　said　the　prince；　approaching　her；　and　contemplating　her　with
a　freezing　smile。　〃My　brother　has　made　you　a　princess；　it　is　true；
but　he　has　not　given　you　the　means　to　live　as　a　princess。　He　has
bequeathed　to　you　this　palace；　with　its　costly　furniture；　he　has
bequeathed　to　you　his　carriages　and　diamonds；　but　a　palace　and
furniture　are　no　estates；　and　in　order　to　keep　carriages　one　has　to
feed　men　and　horses。　It　is　true；　you　can　sell　the　palace　and　the
diamonds；　and　obtain　for　them　several　hundred　thousand　florins。　That
sum　would　be　amply　sufficient　for　a　person　leading　a　retired　life；
but　it　is　very　little　for　one　who　desires　to　keep　up　a　princely
household；　and　to　live　in　the　style　becoming　a　lady　of　your　beauty
and　social　position。　My　brother　has　foreseen　all　this；　and　he
indirectly　gave　us　a　chance　to　come　to　an　understanding；　by　asking
me　to　agree　with　you　on　a　pension　to　be　paid　you。　Hence　I　ask　you；
how　much　do　you　demand？　How　high　will　be　the　sum　for　which　you　will
sell　me　your　mourning　veil；　your　name；　and　your　title　of　princess
dowager？　For　you　doubtless　anticipate；　madame；　that　I　do　not　propose
to　acknowledge　you　publicly　as　my　sister…in…law；　and　to　receive　a
Marianne　Meier　among　the　members　of　my　family。　Tell　me　your　price；
therefore；　madame。〃

Marianne　looked　at　him　with　flaming　eyes；　a　deep　blush　of　anger
mantling　her　cheeks。　〃Prince　von　Reuss；〃　she　said；　proudly；　〃you
will　have　to　permit　the　world　to　call　me　your　sister…in…law。　I　am
your　sister…in…law；　and　I　shall　prove　to　the　world　and　to　you　that
it　is　unnecessary　to　have　been　born　under　a　princely　canopy　in　order
to　live；　think；　and　act　like　a　princess。　My　husband　has　rewarded　me
in　this　hour　for　years　of　suffering　and　humiliation。　Do　you　believe
that　my　reward　is　for　sale　for　vile　money？　And　if　you　should　offer
me　millions；　I　should　reject　them　if；　in　return；　I　were　to　lead　a
nameless；　disreputable；　and　obscure　existence。　I　will　sooner　die　of
starvation　as　a　Princess　Dowager　von　Reuss　than　live　in　opulence　as
Marianne　Meier。　This　is　my　last　word；　and　now；　sir；　begone！　Do　not
desecrate　this　room　by　your　cold　and　egotistic　thoughts；　and　by　your
heartless　calculations！　Honor　the　repose　of　the　dead　and　the　grief
of　the　living。　Begone！〃

She　proudly　turned　away　from　him；　and　bent　once　more　over　the
corpse。　While　she　was　doing　so　her　black　veil；　with　a　gentle　rustle；
fell　down　over　her　face　and　wrapped　her；　as　well　as　the　corpse；　as
in　a　dark　mist；　so　that　the　two　forms　seemed　to　melt　into　one。

The　prince　felt　a　shudder　pervading　his　frame；　and　the　presence　of
the　corpse　embarrassed　him。

〃I　will　not　disturb　you　now　in　your　grief；　madame；〃　he　said；　〃I　hope
your　tears　will　flow　less　copiously　as　soon　as　the　funeral　is　over；
and　I　shall　then　send　my　lawyer；　for　the　purpose　of　treating　further
with　you。〃

He　bowed；　and　hastened　to　the　door。　She　seemed　neither　to　have　heard
his　words；　nor　to　have　noticed　that　he　was　withdrawing。　She　was
still　bending　over　the　remains　of　her　husband；　the　black　cloud
surrounding　her　and　the　corpse。




CHAPTER　XXXIV。

THE　EIGHTEENTH　OF　BRUMAIRE。


〃News　from　France！〃　exclaimed　Counsellor　Gentz；　entering　Marianne's
boudoir　in　breathless　haste。　〃Do　you　already　know　what　has　occurred？
Did　you　hear；　Marianne；　how　France　has　closed　the　eighteenth
century？〃

Marianne　looked　up　into　the　face　of　her　friend；　with　a　gentle　and
peculiar　smile。　〃That　must　have　been　exciting　intelligence；〃　she
said。　〃inasmuch　as　it　was　even　able　to　arouse　the　dreamer；　Frederick
Gentz；　from　his　political　sleep；　and　to　cause　him　to　take　interest
again　in　the　affairs　of　the　world。　Well；　let　us　hear　the　news；　what
has　occurred　in　France？〃

〃General　Bonaparte　has　overthrown　the　Directory；　and　dispersed　the
Council　of　Five　Hundred。〃

〃And　you　call　that　news？〃　asked　Marianne；　shrugging　her　shoulders。
〃You　tell　me　there　the　history　of　the　ninth　and　tenth　of　November；
or；　as　the　French　republicans　say；　of　the　eighteenth　and　nineteenth
of　Brumaire。　And　you　believe　that　I　have　not　yet　heard　of　it　to…day；
on　the　twenty…sixth　of　December？　My　friend　Gentz；　Bonaparte's　deeds
need　not　more　than　a　month　in　order　to　penetrate　through　the　world；
they　soar　aloft　with　eagle…wings；　and　the　whole　world　beholds　them；
because　they　darken　the　horizon　of　the　whole　world。〃

〃But　you　have　only　heard　the　preamble　of　my　news；〃　ejaculated　Gentz；
impatiently。　〃I　have　no　doubt　that　you　know　the　history　of　the
eighteenth　of　Brumaire；　and　that　you　are　aware　that　France；　on　that
day；　placed　herself　under　the　rule　of　three　consuls；　one　of　whom　was
General　Bonaparte。〃

〃The　other　two　consuls　are　Sieyes　and　Dacos；〃　interrupted　Marianne。
〃I　know　that；　and　I　know；　too；　that　Lucien；　Bonaparte's　brother；
president　of　the　Legislative　Assembly；　upon　receiving　the　oath　of
office　of　the　three　consuls；　said　to　them。　'The　greatest　nation　on
earth　intrusts　you　with　its　destinies；　the　welfare　of　thirty
millions　of　men；　the　preservation　of　order　at　home；　and　the
reestablishment　of　peace　abroad；　are　your　task。　Three　months　from
to…day　public　opinion　will　expect　to　hear　from　you　how　you　have
accomplished　it。'〃　＇Footnote：　〃Histoire　du　Consulat　et　de　l'Empire；〃
par　A。　Theirs；　vol。　i。；　p。　16。＇

〃Well；　M。　Bonaparte　did　not　make　public　opinion　wait　so　long；〃　said
Gentz；　〃or　rather；　he　asserts　public　opinion　had　not　given　him　time
to　wait　so　long；　and　that　it　was　public　opinion　itself　that　called
upon　him　to　proclaim　himself　sovereign　of　France。〃

〃Sovereign　of　France？〃　asked　Marianne；　in　surprise。　〃Bonaparte　has
made　himself　king？〃

〃Yes；　king；　but　under　another　name；　he　has　caused　himself　to　be
elected　consul　for　ten　years！　Ah；　he　will　know　how　to　shorten　these
ten　years；　just　as　he　knew　how　to　shorten　those　three　months！〃

〃And　this　report　is　reliable？〃　asked　Marianne；　musingly。

〃Perfectly　so。　Bonaparte　was　elected　first　consul　on　the　twenty…
fifth　of　December；　and　on　the　same　day　the　new　constitution　was
promulgated　throughout　France。　That　is　a　very　fine　Christmas　present
which　France　has　made　to　the　world！　A　box　filled　with　dragon's
teeth；　from　which　armed　hosts　will　spring　up。　It　is　true　the　first
consul　now　pretends　to　be　very　anxious　to　restore　peace　to　Europe。
He　has　sent　special　ambassadors　to　all　courts；　with　profuse
assurances　of　his　friendship　and　pacific　intentions；　and　he　sent
them　off　even　previous　to　his　election；　in　order　to　announce　the
news　of　the　latter　to　the　foreign　courts　on　the　same　day　on　which　he
was　proclaimed　first　consul　at　Paris。　Such　a　peace…messenger　of　the
general　has　arrived　at　Berlin；　he　has　brought　us　the　strange　and
startling　news。〃

〃What　is　the　name　of　this　peace…messenger　of　the　modern　god　of　war？〃
asked　Marianne。

〃He　sent　his　adjutant；　General　Duroc；　the　latter　reached　Berlin
yesterday；　and　appeared　even　to…day　as　the　petted　guest　of　our
court；　at　the　great　soiree　of　the　queen。　Oh；　my　friend；　my　stupid
German　heart　trembled　with　anger　when　I　saw　the　kind　and　flattering
attentions　that　were　paid　to　this　Frenchman；　while　German　gentlemen
of　genius；　merit；　and　ability　were　kept　in　the　background；　neither
the　king　nor　the　queen　seeming　to　take　any　notice　of　their　presence！
There　were　Count　Hardenberg。　and　the　noble　President　of　Westphalia；
Baron　Stein；　they　stood　neglected　in　a　bay　window；　and　looked　sadly
at　the　royal　couple；　who　treated　the　Frenchman　in　the　midst　of　the
court　in　the　most　distinguished　manner；　there　were　Blucher　and
Gneisenau；　overlooked　by　everybody；　although　their　uniforms　were　no
less　brilliant　than　that　of　the　French　envoy；　and　there　was　finally
Frederick　Gentz；　myself；　who　had　only　appeared　at　this　court
festival　owing　to　the　special　desire　and　order　of　the　queen；　and
whose　presence　she　had　entirely　forgotten；　although　Gualtieri
reminded　her　of　it　at　least　three　times；　and　told　her　that　I　was
there；　and　had　only　come　because　the　queen　had　expressly　ordered　it
so。　But