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第92节

louisa of prussia and her times-第92节

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of the true and noble sons of Germany is constantly on the
decrease。〃

〃And he said nothing to me about his plans and hopes?〃 exclaimed
Fanny; reproachfully。 〃He never made me suspect that〃

〃That he had not only a heart for love; but also for politics and
for the cause of the fatherland!〃 interrupted Marianne; smiling。 〃My
child; he loved with his heart; hence; so long as he was with you;
all the schemes of his head were silent。 Still he knew that the
beloved of his heart was able and worthy; too; to be the friend of
his head; and when he took leave of me; he instructed me to initiate
you into all his plans; and to let you participate in his hopes。
Fanny; your friend greets you through my mouth; he wishes to
transfer his love and his hatred; now that he has left us forever to
yourself。 As he was a faithful son of his German fatherland; you
shall be its faithful daughter and guardian; and watch over the
welfare of your country; and devote yourself to its service with
your whole strength。 As he was an inexorable enemy of that new;
blood…stained France and of her dictator; you shall forswear all
connection with that country; which soon will pour its torrents of
blood and fire over our own unhappy fatherland。 You shall do
whatever will serve and be useful to the fatherland; and you shall
abhor; persecute; and combat every menace to subjugate Germany。 Your
house shall be open to all German patriots; it shall be closed
against all enemies of Germany; no matter whether they are Germans
or French; or to whatever nation they may belong。 Such; Fanny; is
the legacy which Prince Charles von Lichtenstein; the noble German
patriot; has bequeathed to you with his love; and which is to
comfort and strengthen you in your grief。〃

〃I accept this legacy;〃 exclaimed Fanny; radiant with enthusiasm。
〃Yes; I accept this legacy and will fulfil it faithfully! To Germany
I will transfer the love which I once devoted to him; I will love
and honor him in each of our German brethren。 Like him; I will hate
the enemies of Germany; and never shall my house be opened to them
never shall they cross its threshold as welcome guests! As I cannot
be a happy wife; I will try to be a faithful daughter of my country;
to love its friends faithfully; and to hate its enemies bitterly!〃

〃That is right;〃 said Marianne; joyfully。 〃Now you have received
your best consolation; and the grief of your love will be
transformed into deeds of love。 The blessing of your departed friend
will be with you; and the love of your fatherland will reward you
for what you will do for it。 And you shall assist our despised and
down…trodden Jews; too; by proving to those who scorn us and
contemptuously treat us as aliens; that we feel like natives and
children of the country in which we were born; and that we do not
seek for our Jerusalem in the distant Orient; but in the fatherland
we share with all other Germans。 Let us prove to these Christians
that we also are good patriots; and that we love our fatherland like
them; and are ready to make any sacrifice which it may require from
us。〃

〃Yes; I will prove that I am a good patriot as he was a good
patriot;〃 said Fanny; enthusiastically。 〃I will hate whatever he
hated; I will love whatever he loved!〃

〃Amen!〃 exclaimed Marianne; solemnly。 〃And now; farewell; Fanny。 I
go to fulfil the legacy which Prince von Lichtenstein has bequeathed
to me。 He had taken it upon himself to deliver this letter to
Bonaparte; and to see what the Bourbons have to expect from him; and
whether Bonaparte is a Monk or a Cromwell。 I fear the latter。 The
Bourbons and Lichtenstein hoped for the former。 They believed he
would be the Monk of the restoration; and he had only placed himself
so near the throne in order to restore the latter to Louis XVIII。;
as Monk had done in relation to Charles II。 Well; we shall see! I
will go now and deliver the letter which Prince Lichtenstein has
intrusted to me。 Farewell; Fanny; and remember your legacy!〃

〃I shall remember it as long as I live;〃 said Fanny; fervently。 〃And
as I never shall forget my love; I shall never forget my fatherland
either。 Both shall live indissolubly united in my heart!〃 'Footnote:
The history of Baroness Arnstein and the tragic end of Prince
Charles von Lichtenstein do not belong to romance; but to reality;
and created a great sensation at that time。 Every one in Vienna knew
that love for Baroness Arnstein had been the cause of the duel and
of the death of the Prince von Lichtenstein; but every one knew also
that Fanny von Arnstein was not to blame for this event; hence the
sympathy and compassion felt for the unhappy lady were universal。
The imperial court and the city took pains to do homage to her and
to manifest their respect for her。 But Baroness Arnstein was not to
be consoled by such proofs of public sympathy; the affliction which
had befallen her was too terrible; and she did not endeavor to
conceal her grief。 She caused the cabinet in which he had seen her
on the day preceding his death to be hung in black like a death…
room; all the souvenirs and every thing reminding her of him were
preserved in this room。 She spent there every anniversary of his
death in deep mourning; and at other times she frequently retired
thither to pray for him。 Except herself no one was ever permitted to
enter this cabinet; consecrated as an altar for the religion of her
reminiscences。Vide Varnhagen von Ense's Miscellanies; vol。 i。; p。
112。'




CHAPTER XL。

THE FIRST CONSUL。


〃Then you have seen and conversed with our poor; unhappy king?〃 said
Madame Bonaparte to the beautiful and richly…dressed lady who was
sitting on the sofa at her side; and who was none other than the
Princess Marianne von Eibenberg。

〃Yes; madame; I have often had the good fortune to converse long
with him;〃 said the princess; heaving a sigh。 〃I passed a few weeks
in his neighborhood; and touched by his resignation; his unfaltering
patience; and calm greatness; I offered him my mediation; I wished
to be the messenger whom the poor unfortunate would send out in
order to see whether the shores of his country will never again be
visible to him; and whether the great and intrepid pilot who is now
steering the ship of France with so firm a hand has no room left for
the poor shipwrecked man。 The Count de Provence accepted my
services; he gave me a letter which I was to deliver to the First
Consul himself; and I set out for Paris provided with numerous and
most satisfactory recommendations。 All these recommendations;
however; were useless; even the intercession of Minister Talleyrand
was in vain; the First Consul refused to grant me an audience。〃

〃He had been told; perhaps; how beautiful and charming a messenger
had been this time sent to him by the Count de Provence;〃 said
Josephine; smiling; 〃and he was; therefore; afraid of you; madame。
For Bonaparte; the most intrepid hero in battle; is quite timid and
bashful in the presence of beautiful ladies; and not having the
strength to withstand your smiles and prayers; he evades you and
refuses to see you。〃

〃Oh; madame;〃 exclaimed the princess; quickly; 〃if the First Consul
is unable to resist the smiles of the most beautiful lady; I predict
to you an even more brilliant future; for in that case he will lay
the whole world at your feet to do you homage。 He who has remained
at the side of Josephine a hero and a man of iron will; need not
fear the beauty of any other woman。〃

〃You know how to flatter;〃 said Josephine; smiling。 〃You forget;
however; that we are in a republic here; and that there is no court
with courtiers in the Tuileries; but merely the humble household of
a citizen and general; which; I trust; will soon give way to the
splendor of royalty。〃

〃Do you believe so; madame?〃 asked the princess; eagerly。 〃Do you
believe that the hopes which the Count de Provence has built on the
noble and grand spirit of General Bonaparte are not illusory? Oh;
let us be frank and sincere toward each other; for I know you
sympathize with the sufferings of the royal family; and the terrible
misfortunes of the august exiles find an echo in your heart。 Hence;
when I did not succeed in obtaining an interview with the First
Consul; and in delivering my letter to him in person; I applied to
you; and the Count de Provence himself authorized me to do so。 'If
Bonaparte refuses to hear you;' he said; 'go to Josephine。 Bring her
the greetings of the Count de Provence; remind her of the happy days
of Versailles; where; as Viscountess de Beauharnais; she was always
welcome at the court of my lamented brother。 Ask her if she still
remembers how often we joked and laughed together at that time。 Ask
her whether my present misfortunes shall last forever; or whether
she; who holds my destiny in her hand; will restore me to mirth and
joy。'〃

〃Oh!〃 exclaimed Josephine; bursting into tears; 〃if I held his
destiny in my hand; he would not have to wait long for his throne
and for happiness。 I should be the first to jubilantly welcome him
to France; the first to joyously leave these Tuileries; this royal
palace; the grandeur of which frightens me; and in the walls of
which it always seem

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