andreas hofer-第12节

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This　did　not　escape　the　emperor；　and　a　smile　of　satisfaction　lit　up
his　face。

〃You　see；　my　agents　serve　me　very　well；　and　I　am　aware　of　all　that
is　going　on；〃　said　Francis；　gravely。　〃I　know；　too；　that　Baron　von
Hormayr　has　returned　to　Vienna　not　alone；　but　accompanied　by　some
good　friends。　I　believe　you　did　not　come　here　to　give　me　your
advice；　but　to　beg　permission　to　receive　your　Tyrolese　friends　at
your　palace　to…night。〃

〃What？〃　asked　John；　surprised；　〃your　majesty　is　aware　of　this；　too？〃

〃I　have　told　you　already　that　my　agents　serve　me　very　well。　Let　this
be　a　warning　to　you　not　to　do　or　undertake　any　thing　that　you　would
like　to　conceal　from　me。　I　know　that　Andreas　Hofer　is　here；　to
concert　with　you　some　sort　of　plan　for　the　insurrection　of　the
Tyrol。　Under　the　present　circumstances　I　permit　you　to　do　so；　for　it
is　really　important　that　the　German　and　Italian　Tyrol　should　rise；
and　as　we　are　going　to　have　war；　we　will　strive　to　recover　our
Tyrol。　But　we　must　proceed　cautiously；　and　the　world　must　not　find
out　that　we　instigated　the　Tyrolese　to　rise　in　arms。　That　would　be
setting　a　bad　example　to　the　other　nations　of　our　empire。　We　may　at
times　profit　by　popular　insurrections；　but　must　beware　of　letting
the　world　know　that　we　ourselves　brought　them　about。　Hence；　I　do　not
want　to　know　any　thing　of　your　Tyrolese；　and　shall　not　grant　them　an
audience。　But　I　permit　you　to　do　so；　and　you　may　tell　these　brave
Tyrolese；　too；　that　I　should　be　glad　if　they　would　become　again　my
dear　subjects。〃

〃Your　majesty；〃　exclaimed　John；　joyously；　〃these　words　of　their
emperor　will　be　the　signal　for　them　to　rise　as　one　man；　take　their
rifles；　and　expel　the　Evil　One；　that　is　to　say；　the　Bavarians。〃

〃I　shall　be　glad　to　see　the　Tyrolese　do　so；　and；　moreover；　do　it　in
time；〃　said　the　emperor；　nodding　his　head。　〃Repeat　my　words　to
Andreas　Hofer；　brother　John；　and　pledge　him　my　word　that；　if　we
recover　the　Tyrol　this　time；　we　shall　never　give　it　up　again。　But
Andreas　Hofer　must　behave　with　great　prudence；　and　not　show　himself
to　the　public　here；　but　keep　in　the　background；　that　the　police　may
wink　at　his　presence　in　Vienna；　and　act　as　though　they　did　not　see
him　and　his　friends。　And　now；　brother；　farewell；　and　inquire　if　the
generalissimo　has　recovered　from　his　fit。　It　would　be　bad；　indeed；
if　these　fits　should　befall　him　once　in　the　midst　of　a　battle。　Well；
let　us　hope　for　the　best　for　us　all；　and　especially　for　the　Tyrol。
You　have　now　a　great　task　before　you；　John；　for　you　will　receive　a
command；　you　shall　assist　the　Tyrolese　in　shaking　off　the　foreign
yoke。〃

〃Oh；　my　lord　and　emperor；〃　exclaimed　John；　with　a　radiant　face　and
fiery　glance；　〃how　kind　and　gracious　you　are　to…day！　It　is　the　heart
of　a　brother　that　speaks　out　of　your　mouthof　a　brother　who　wishes
to　make　me　happy；　and　knows　how　to　do　so。　Yes；　send　me　with　a　corps
to　the　assistance　of　the　Tyrolese；　let　me　bring　freedom　and
salvation　to　my　beloved　mountaineers。　That　is　a　task　which　fills　me
with　boundless　ecstasy；　and　for　which　I　shall　always　be　grateful　and
devoted　to　you；　brother。〃

〃Be　devoted　to　your　emperor；　archduke；〃　said　Francis；　smiling；　〃the
brothers　will　get　along　well　enough；　they　have　nothing　to　do　with
politics　and　public　affairs。　Farewell；　John。　But；　remember；　we　shall
meet　again　to…day；　for　I　shall　summon　the　ministers　and　generals　to
a　consultation；　and　you　will；　of　course；　be　present。　Once　more；
then；　farewell！〃

He　nodded　repeatedly　to　the　archduke　and　left　the　room　with　unusual
quickness。　The　emperor　walked　hastily　and　with　a　gloomy　face　through
the　adjoining　room；　and　entered　his　cabinet；　the　door　of　which　he
closed　rather　noisily。　〃I　am　to　let　him　bring　freedom　and　salvation
to　his　beloved　mountaineers；〃　murmured　Francis　to　himself〃to　HIS
mountaineers！　I　believe　he　would　be　glad　if　they　really　were　his；
and　if　he　could　become　King　of　the　Tyrol。　Well；　we　shall　see。　I　have
lulled　his　suspicion　by　permitting　him　to　hold　intercourse　with　the
Tyrolese；　and　concert　plans　with　them。　We　shall　see　how　far　my
brother　will　go；　and　what　his　gratitude　and　devotion　will　amount　to。
It　is　a　troublesome　burden　for　me　to　have　such　dangerously　ambitious
and　renowned　brothers；　against　whom　I　must　be　constantly　on　my
guard。　I　would　I　could　pick　them　off　as　quickly　as　I　remove　the
flies　from　this　wall。〃

So　saying；　he　took　from　the　table　the　fly　flap　which　had　always　to
lie　on　it　in　readiness；　and　entered　upon　his　favorite　amusement；　the
pursuit　of　the　flies　on　the　wall　and　furniture；　which　his　servants
took　good　care　not　to　drive　from　the　emperor's　cabinet；　because
Francis　would　never　have　pardoned　them　for　spoiling　his　sport。

Walking　along　the　walls　with　a　rapid　step；　the　emperor　commenced
killing　the　flies。

〃Ha！〃　he　exclaimed；　striking　a　fly；　〃ha！　brother　Charles；　this
stroke　is　intended　for　you。　Really；　there　lies　the　fly　writhing；　as
the　generalissimo　did；　on　the　floor。　But　he　has　a　tougher　life　than
the　fly；　for　the　fly　will　writhe　until　it　is　dead；　but　the
generalissimo　always　revives；　and　when　he　has　no　fits；　he　is　a　very
brave　and　illustrious　man；　before　whom　his　emperor　must　humbly　stand
aside。　I　cannot　take　the　fly…flap　and　strike　his　writhing　limbs　as　I
do　this　miserable　fly；　the　little　Archduke　Charles；　that　is　writhing
on　the　floor　there。　So；　now　you　are　dead；　confounded　little　brother
Charles；　and　we　will　hunt　for　your　brother　John。　See；　see；　there　he
sits　on　the　wall；　cleaning　his　wings　and　making　himself　tidy　and
pretty。　There！　There　is　an　affectionate　blow　from　your　imperial
brother；　and　you　are　done　for。　Now　you　will　never　fly　to　YOUR
mountaineers　and　BRING　them　freedom　and　salvation。　You　will；　on　the
contrary；　stick　to　the　wall　of　your　emperor's　room；　and　learn　that
your　brother　is　your　master。　Why；　this　is　most　amusing　sport　to　day！
I　shall　not　stop　before　killing　a　dozen　Archdukes　Charles　and　John！〃

And　Francis　hunted　eagerly　on　the　walls　and　the　furniture　for　other
flies；　which　he　pursued　and　killed　with　his　fly…flap；　always
applying　the　name　of　Charles　to　one；　and　that　of　John　to　the　next。

In　the　excitement　of　this　strange　sport　he　had　not　noticed　that；
soon　after　he　entered　the　cabinet；　the　door　had　opened；　and
Counsellor　von　Hudelist　had　come　in。　Francis　did　not　remember　at
that　moment　that　he　had　given　express　orders　to　Hudelist　to　re…enter
the　cabinet　as　soon　as　he　heard　the　emperor　return　to　it；　he　had
fixed　his　thoughts　exclusively　on　the　cruel　pleasure　of　killing　the
flies　Charles　and　John；　and　Hudelist　took　good　care　not　to　disturb
him　in　this　pleasant　pastime。　He　stood　leaning　against　the　wall
close　to　the　door；　his　small；　flashing　eyes　followed　every　motion　of
the　emperor　with　rapt　attention；　and　whenever　Francis；　on　killing　a
fly；　pronounced　the　name　of　either　of　his　brothers　in　a　triumphant
tone；　a　malicious　smile　overspread　the　pale　and　ugly　face　of　the
counsellor。

Now；　however；　Francis；　in　hunting　for　flies；　had　arrived　at　the
extreme　end　of　the　room。　Until　then；　his　back　had　been　turned　to
Hudelist。　If　he　should　turn　now　and　continue　his　sport　on　the　other
side　of　the　room；　he　would　discover　him；　and　be　disagreeably
surprised　at　his　presence。　Therefore；　before　the　emperor　turned；
Hudelist　opened　once　more　the　door　near　which　he　was　standing；　and
closed　it　rather　noisily。

The　emperor　turned　and　asked　gayly：　〃Well；　what　is　it；　Mr。
Counsellor？〃

〃Your　Majesty　ordered　me　to　return　to　the　cabinet　as　soon　as　you
should　be　back。〃

〃But　I　returned　some　time　ago；〃　said　Francis；　casting　a　distrustful；
searching　glance　on　Hudelist。

〃Pardon　me；　your　majesty；　I　believed　I　heard　you　only　just　now　close
the　door；　and　had　until　then　vainly　waited　for　some　sound　in　the
cabinet；〃　replied　Hudelist；　with　a　perfectly　innocent　expression　of
countenance。　〃The　second　door　separating　the　conference…room　from
your　majesty's　cabinet　is　so　heavily　lined　with　cushions　as　to
render　it　almost　impervious　to　sound；　and　I　beg　your　pardon　again
for　not　having　heard　despite　the　most　eager　attention。〃

The　emperor's　face　had　again　entirely　cleared　up。　〃Never　mind；〃　he
said；　〃I　am　glad　that　those　in　the　adjoining　room　cannot　hear　what
is　going　on　here。　I　like　to　have　ears　for　all；　but　do　not　like
anybody　to　have　ears　for　me。　Now　let　me　hear　what　you　have　brought
for　me　from　Paris。〃

〃Above　all　things；　your　majesty；　I　succeeded　in　obtaining　for　a
considerable　sum　of　money；　the　receipt　for　making　Spanish　sealing…
wax；　from　a　Spanish　refugee；　who　was　formerly　employed　at　the　royal
sealing…wax　factory　of　Madrid；　and　was　perfectly　familiar　with　the
formula　for　making　it。　Your　majesty　knows　that　this　receipt　is　a
secret；　and　that　the　officers　and　workmen　employed　at　the　factory
must　even　swear　an　oath　not　to　divulge　it。〃

〃And　you　obtained　the　receipt　nevertheless；　and　brought　it　with
you？〃　inquired　the　emperor。

〃Here　it　is；　your　majesty。〃

Francis　hastily　seized　the　paper　which　Hudelist　handed　to　him　with　a
respectful　bow。

〃See；　see；　this　is　a　very　kind　service　which　you　have　rendered　me；
and　I　shall　be　grateful　for　it！〃　he　exclaimed。　〃You　shall　test　the
receipt　with　me　alone；　we　will　try　it　right　away。　But　hold　on；　I