八喜电子书 > 经管其他电子书 > frederick the great and his family >

第139部分

frederick the great and his family-第139部分

小说: frederick the great and his family 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



ave only heard that my brother is unhappy; and it is; I know; natural for the unhappy to seek the source of their sorrows in others and not in themselves。 I forgive all that you have said against me; but if you hold me responsible for the miserable consequences of the war; which kept the men at a distance for years and loosened family ties; that shows plainly that your judgment is unreliable; and that you cannot discriminate with justice。 I did not commence this war heedlessly; I undertook it as a heavy burden。 It has made an old man of me; it has eaten up my life before my time。 I see all the evil results; and I consider it my sacred duty to bind up the wounds which it has inflicted on my country。 I work for this object day and night; I give all of my energies to this effort; I have sacrificed to it all my personal inclinations。 But I must be contented to bind up the wounds。 I cannot make want disappear; I cannot immediately change sorrow into gladness。〃

〃Ah; sire; you seek to avoid the subject; and to speak of the general unhappiness instead of my special grief。 I call you to account; because you forced me to take a wife that I did not knowa wife who has made me the most miserable of mena wife who has outraged my honor; and betrayed my heart。 You gave me a wife who has robbed me of all I held dear on earthof the wife I loved; and of the friend I trusted。〃

〃Poor brother;〃 said the king; gently; 〃you are enduring the torments from which I also suffered; before my heart became hardened as it now is。 Yes; it is a fearful pain to be forced to despise the friend that you trustedto be betrayed by those we have loved。 I have passed through that grief。 The man suffered deeply in me before his existence was merged in that of the king。〃

〃Sire;〃 said the prince; suddenly; 〃I have come to you to demand justice and punishment。 You have occasioned the misery of my house; it is therefore your duty to alleviate it; as far as in you lies。 I accuse my wife; the Princess Wilhelmina; of infidelity and treachery。 I accuse Count Kalkreuth; who dares to love my wife; of being a traitor to your royal family。 I demand your consent to my divorce from the princess; and to the punishment of the traitor。 That is the satisfaction which I demand of your majesty for the ruin which you have wrought in my life。〃

〃You wish to make me answerable for the capriciousness of woman and the faithlessness of man;〃 asked the king; with a sad smile。 〃You do that because I; in performing my duty as a king; forced you to marry。 It is true you did not love your intended wife; because you did not know her; but you learned to love her。 That proves that I did not make a bad choice; your present pain is a justification for me。 You are unhappy because you love the wife I gave you with your whole heart。 For the capriciousness of women you cannot hold me responsible; and I did not select the friend who has so wickedly betrayed you。 You demand of me that I should punish both。 Have you considered; my brother; that in punishing them I should make your disgrace and misery public to the world? Do not imagine; Henry; that men pity us for our griefs; when they seem most deeply to sympathize with us they feel an inward pleasure; especially if it is a prince who suffers。 It pleases men that fate; which has given us an exceptional position; does not spare us the ordinary sorrows of humanity。〃

〃I understand; then; that you refuse my request;〃 said the prince。 〃You will not consent to my divorce; you will not punish the traitor?〃

〃No; I do not refuse your request; but I beg you will take three days to consider what I have said to you。 At the end of that time; should you come to me; and make the same demand; I will give my consent; that is; I will have you publicly separated from your wife; I will have Count Kalkreuth punished; and will thus give the world the right to laugh at the hero of Freiburg。〃

〃Very well; sire;〃 said the prince; thoughtfully; 〃I will remind you of your promise。 I beg you will now dismiss me; for you see I am a very man and no philosopher; unworthy to be a guest at Sans…Souci。〃

He bowed to the king; who tenderly pressed his hand and silently left the room。

Frederick looked after him with an expression of unutterable pity。

〃Three days will be long enough to deaden his pain; and then he will be more reasonable and form other resolutions。〃




CHAPTER XIII。

A HUSBAND'S REVENGE。


Camilla lay upon a sofa in her boudoir; and listened with breathless attention to the account her beau cousin gave of the adventures of the last eight days。 She listened with sparkling eyes to the witty description he gave of his duel with Lord Elliot; and declared that she found him extraordinarily brilliant。 Camilla was indeed proud of her handsome lover。 Kindar explained minutely how he had compelled Lord Elliot; who for a long time avoided and fled from him; to fight a duel with him。 How he forced him on his knees to acknowledge that he had done his wife injustice; and to apologize for the insult he had offered to Kindar; in charging him with being the lover of his pure and virtuous wile。

〃And he did this?〃 cried Camilla; 〃he knelt before you and begged your pardon?〃

〃Yes; he knelt before me; and begged my pardon。〃

〃Then he is even more pitiful than I thought him;〃 said Camilla; 〃and I am justified before the whole world in despising him。 Nothing can be more contemptible than to beg pardon rather than fight a duel; to kneel to a man to save one's miserable life。 I am a woman; but I would scorn such cowardice。 I would despise the man I loved most fondly if he were guilty of such an act of shame。〃

Camilla was much excited; she did not notice how Kindar started; turned pale; and fixed his eyes on the floor。 She was so charmed with the courage of her beau cousin that she could think of nothing else。 Even her frivolous nature had this feminine instinctshe prized personal daring and courage in a man more than all other things; of strength of mind she knew nothing; and therefore she could not appreciate it; but she demanded courage; dignity; and strength of physique。 She laid her hands upon her cousin with cordial approbation; and gazed lovingly at him。

〃You are as beautiful as a hero and a demigod; and it seems to me I never loved you so fondly as at this moment; when you stand before me as the victor over my cowardly husband。 Ah; I wish I could have witnessed that scene; you proud and grand; and he lying trembling like this miserable windspiel at your feet; repeating the words of retraction and repentance which you dictated。〃

〃It was indeed worth seeing;〃 said Kindar; 〃but let us speak now of something more important; dear Camilla。 You must leave Berlin to… day; and for a few weeks at least withdraw to your estate; till the violence of the storm has blown over。 It is; of course; most agreeable and flattering to me to have my name coupled with that of so lovely and charming a womanto be looked upon with jealousy and alarm by the cowardly husbands of Berlin。 It will not; however; be agreeable to you to be torn to pieces by slanderous tongues。 Every old maid; every prude; and every hypocritical coquette (and of such base elements the feminine world is composed); will find this a happy occasion to exalt her own modesty and virtue; and denounce and condemn you。〃

〃Not so;〃 said Camilla; proudly; 〃I will remain in Berlin。 I have courage to defy the whole world for your sakeI will remain to prove that I am not ashamed of my love。 The whole world shall know that the brave and handsome Kindar; the beloved of all women; is my lover。 Ah; cousin; you merit this compensation at my hands; you defended my honor against the aspersions of my husband; and compelled him to a shameful retraction。〃

〃Does Baron von Kindar make this boast?〃 cried a voice behind her。

Camilla turned and saw Lord Elliot standing in the door; he looked at her with a cold; contemptuous glance; which wounded her far more than a spoken insult would have done。

〃Why are you here; sir?〃 she cried。 〃With what right do you dare force yourself into my presence?〃

Lord Elliot made no reply; but smiled coolly; and Camilla's eyes filled with tears of rage。

〃Cousin;〃 said she; turning to Kindar; 〃will you not free me from the presence of this contemptible creature; who dares to affront and〃

Suddenly she stopped speaking and gazed in amazement at her handsome cousin; his countenance was not serene; he was indeed livid; and stood trembling and with downcast eyes before her husband。

〃Well;〃 said Lord Elliot; raising himself proudly; 〃do you not hear your cousin's command? Will you not dismiss this poor creature who dares disturb this tender interview?〃

〃I will withdraw。〃 stammered Kindar; 〃I am de trop。 I have no right to interfere between Lord Elliot and his wife。 I take my leave。〃

He tried to step through the door; but the powerful hand of Lord Elliot held him back。

〃Not so; my handsome gentleman;〃 said Lord Elliot; with a hoarse laugh; 〃you are by no means de trop; on the contrary; I desire your presence; you will remain here and listen to the charming and merry narrative I am about to relate to Lady Elliot。 I have come; madame; to give your ladyship the history of a hunt; not; however; of a chase after wild beasts; of the hart and the hare; but of an all… conquering cavalier; who; however; judging from the manner in which he fled and sought to save himself; must possess the cowardice of the hare; and the fleet foot of the hart。 You know; I presume; that I speak of your beau cousin; and myself。〃

While Lord Elliot spoke; Camilla stared in breathless agony at her cousin。 She seemed to hope to read in his pale face the explanation of this incomprehensible riddle; she expected him to command her husband to be silent; and to offer him some new insult。 But Kindar did not speak; and Camilla came to a desperate resolution。 She was determined to know why he stood so pale and trembling before her husband。 She would force him to an explanation。

〃It is wholly unnecessary; my lord;〃 she said; in a haughty tone; 〃to relate your history to me; I am acquainted with all the particulars of the chase of which you speak。 I know your degradation and humiliationI know that you fell upon your knees

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的