louisa of prussia and her times-第106部分

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from　her　hair　and　hurled　it　to　the　floor。　〃Who　dares　to　adorn
himself　after　events　so　utterly　ignominious　have　occurred？〃　she
ejaculated〃who　dares　to　carry　his　head　erect　after　Germany　has
been　thus　trampled　under　foot！　The　Emperor　of　Germany　has　begged　the
invader　to　make　peace；　he　has　humbly　solicited　it　like　a　beggar
asking　alms！　And　has　the　conqueror　graciously　granted　his　request？
Oh；　tell　me　every　thing；　Frederick！　What　took　place　at　that
interview？　What　did　they　say　to　each　other？〃

〃I　can　tell　you　but　little　about　it；〃　said　Gentz；　shrugging　his
shoulders；　〃for　the　two　emperors　conversed　without　witnesses。
Bonaparte　left　his　suite　at　the　bivouac　fire　kindled　by　his
soldiers；　and　Lamberti　also　went　thither。　The　two　emperors　then
embraced　each　other　like　two　friends　who　had　not　met　for　years。〃
＇Footnote：　Historical。＇

〃And　the　Emperor　Francis　had　not　sufficient　strength　to　strangle　the
fiend　with　his　arms？〃　asked　Marianne；　trembling　with　wrath　and
grief。

〃He　had　neither　the　strength　nor　the　inclination；　I　suppose；〃　said
Gentz；　shrugging　his　shoulders。　〃When　Napoleon　released　the
unfortunate　Emperor　Francis　from　his　arms；　he　pointed　with　a　proud
glance　toward　heaven　and　said：　'Such　are　the　palaces　which　your
majesty　has　obliged　me　to　inhabit　for　these　three　months。'〃

〃'The　abode　in　them；'　replied　the　Austrian　monarch；　'makes　you　so
thriving　that　you　have　no　right　to　be　angry　with　me　for　it。'〃

〃'I　only　ask　your　majesty；'　said　Napoleon；　hastily；　'not　to　renew
the　war　against　France。'〃

〃'I　pledge　you　my　word　as　a　man　and　a　sovereign　that　I　shall　do　so
no　more；'　replied　Francis；　loudly　and　unhesitatingly。　The
conversation　then　was　continued　in　a　lower　tone；　and　neither
Lamberti　nor　the　French　marshals　were　able　to　understand　another
word。〃　＇Footnote：　〃Memoires　du　Duo　de　Rovigo；〃　vol。　ii。；　p。　218。＇

〃The　interview　lasted　two　hours；　and　then　the　two　emperors　parted
with　reiterated　demonstrations　of　cordiality。　The　Emperor　Francis
returned　silently；　and　absorbed　in　his　reflections　to　his
headquarters　at　Austerlitz。　Hitherto　he　had　not　uttered　a　word；　but
when　he　saw　the　Prince　von　Lichtenstein；　he　beckoned　him　to
approach；　and　said　to　him　in　a　low　voice；　and　with　suppressed　anger；
'Now　that　I　have　seen　him；　he　is　more　intolerable　to　me　than　ever。'
＇Footnote：　Hausser's　〃History　of　Germany；〃　vol。　ii。；　p。　690。＇　That
was　the　only　utterance　he　gave　to　his　rage；　as　for　the　rest；　he
seemed　contented　with　the　terms　he　obtained。〃

〃And　were　the　terms　honorable？〃　asked　Marianne。

〃Honorable！〃　said　Gentz；　shrugging　his　shoulders。　〃Napoleon
demanded；　above　all；　that　the　Russian　army　should　retire　speedily
from　the　Austrian　territories；　and　the　emperor　promised　this　to　him。
Hence；　the　Emperor　Alexander　has　departed；　the　Russian　army　is
retreating；　one　part　of　it　is　going　to　Prussia；　while　the　other　is
returning　to　Poland。　The　cabinet　of　Vienna；　therefore；　is　free；　that
is　to　say；　it　is　left　to　its　own　peculiar　infamy　without　any　bounds
whatever；　and　thus　peace　will　be　made　soon　enough。　Those
contemptible　men　will　submit　to　any　thing；　provided　he　gives　up
Vienna。　Finance…minister　Fichy　said　to　me　in　Olmutz　yesterday；
'Peace　will　be　cheap；　if　we　have　merely　to　cede　the　Tyrol；　Venice；
and　a　portion　of　Upper　Austria；　and　we　should　be　content　with　such
terms。'　Ah；　if　THEY　could　only　be　got　rid　of；　what　a　splendid　thing
the　fall　of　the　monarchy　would　he！　But　to　lose　the　provinces；　honor；
Germany；　Europe；　and　to　KEEP　Fichy；　Ungart；　Cobenzl；　Collenbach；
Lamberti；　Dietrichsteinno　satisfaction；　no　revenge？…not　a　single
one　of　the　dogs　hung　or　quartered；it　is　impossible　to　digest
THAT！〃　＇Footnote：　Gentz's　own　words。Vide　his　〃Correspondence　with
Johannes　von　Muller；〃　p。　155。＇

〃It　is　true；〃　said　Marianne；　musingly；　and　in　a　low　voice；　〃this　is
a　boundless　disgrace；　and　if　men　will　submit　to　it；　and　bow　their
heads；　it　is　time　for　women　to　raise　theirs；　and　to　become　lionesses
in　order　to　tear　the　enemy　opposing　them！　And　what　do　you　intend
doing　now；　my　friend？〃　she　then　asked　aloud；　forcibly　dispelling　her
painful　emotions。　〃What　are　your　prospects？　What　plan　of　battle　will
you　draw　up　for　us？〃

〃I　have　no　prospects　at　all；　and　I　have　given　up　drawing　plans　of
battle；〃　said　Gentz；　sighing。　〃After　exhausting　my　last　strength　for
five　days　during　my　sojourn　in　Olmutz；　I　am　done　with　every　thing；
and　I　have　withdrawn　weary　and　satiated　ad　nauseam。　Our　ministers
have　gone　to　Presburg；　for　the　purpose　of　negotiating　there　with　the
plenipotentiaries　of　Bonaparte　about　the　terms　of　peace。〃

〃And　where　is　he　at　presentwhere　is　the　proud　triumphator？〃　asked
Marianne；　hastily。

〃He　left　Austerlitz　to…night；　and　will　reside　again　at　Schonbrunn。
until　peace　has　been　concluded。〃

〃Ah；　in　Schonbrunn！〃　said　Marianne；　〃that　is　to　say；　here　in　Vienna。
And　you；　Frederick；　will　you　remain　here；　too？〃

〃After　making　peace；　they　will　banish　me；　of　course；　from　Vienna；
for　Bonaparte　knows　my　hatred　against　him；　and　moreover；　he　knows　it
to　be　implacable。　Hence；　I　prefer　going　voluntarily　into　exile；　and
shall　repair　to　Breslau；　where　I　shall　find　plenty　of　friends　and
acquaintances。　There　I　will　live；　amuse　myself；　be　a　man　like　all　of
them；　that　is　to　say；　gratify　nothing　but　my　egotism；　and　take　rest
after　so　many　annoyances　and　struggles。〃

〃That　cannot　be　truethat　cannot　be　possible！〃　exclaimed　Marianne；
ardently。　〃A　patriot；　a　man　like　you；　does　not　repose　and　amuse
himself；　while　his　country　is　plunged　into　misery　and　disgrace。　I
repeat　to　you　what　Arnauld　said　to　his　friend　Nicole；　when　the
latter；　tired　of　the　struggle　for　Jansenism；　declared　to　him　that　he
would　retire　and　repose：　'Vous　reposer！　Eh！　n'avez…vous　pas　pour
vous　reposer　V'eternite　toute　enliere？'　If　those　men　were　filled
with　so　undying　an　enthusiasm　for　an　insipid　quarrel　about　mere
sophistries；　how　could　you　take　rest；　since　eternity　itself；　whether
it　be　repose　or　motion；　offers　nothing　more　sublime　than　a　struggle
for　the　liberty　and　dignity　of　the　world？〃

〃God　bless　you　for　these　words；　Marianne！〃　exclaimed　Gentz；
enthusiastically；　while　he　embraced　his　friend　passionately；　and
imprinted　a　glowing　kiss　on　her　forehead。　〃Oh；　Marianne；　I　only
wished　to　try　you；　I　wanted　to　see　whether；　with　the　ardor　of　your
love　for　me；　the　ardor　of　the　holy　cause　represented　by　me；　had　also
left　you；　I　only　wanted　to　know　whether；　now　that　you　love　me　no
longer〃　　〃And　how　can　you　say　that　I　love　you　no　longer？〃　she
interrupted　him。　〃Have　I　deserved　so　bitter　a　reproach？〃

〃It　is　no　reproach；　Marianne；〃　said　Gentz；　mournfully；　〃you　have
paid　your　tribute　to　the　vacillating；　changeable；　and　fickle
organization　peculiar　to　every　living　creature；　and　so　have　I；
perhaps。　We　are　all　perishable；　and　hence　our　feelings　must　be
perishable　also。　Above　all；　love　is　a　most　precious；　fragrant；　and
enchanting　rose；　but　its　life　lasts　but　a　day；　and　then　it　withers。
Happy　are　those；　therefore；　who　have　improved　this　day　and　enjoyed
the　beauty　of　the　rose；　and　passionately　inhaled　its　fragrance。　We
did　so；　Marianne；　and　when　we　now　look　back　to　our　day　of　blissful
love；　we　may　say；　'It　was　delightful　and　intoxicating；　and　with　its
memories　it　will　shed　a　golden；　sunny　lustre　over　our　whole　life。'
Let　us　not　revile　it；　therefore；　for　having　passed　away；　and　let　us
not　be　angry　with　ourselves　for　not　being　able　to　prolong　it。　The
rose　has　faded；　but　the　stem；　from　which　it　burst　forth；　must　remain
to　us；　it　is　our　immortal　part。　That　stem　is　the　harmony　of　our
sentiments；　it　is　the　consonance　of　our　ideas；　in　short；　the　seeds
of　friendship　have　ripened　in　the　withered　flower　of　our　love。　I
have　not；　therefore；　come　to　you；　Marianne；　to　seek　for　my　beloved；
but　to　find　my　friend？　the　friend　who　understands　me；　who　shares　my
views；　my　grief；　my　despair；　and　my　rage；　and　who　is　ready　to　aspire
with　me　to　one　goal；　and　to　seek　with　me　for　it　in　one　way。　This
goal　is　the　deliverance　of　Germany　from　the　chains　of　slavery。〃

〃Above　all；　the　annihilation　of　the　tyrant　who　wants　to　enslave　us！〃
exclaimed　Marianne；　with　flashing　eyes。　〃Tell　me　the　way　leading　to
that　goal；　I　will　enter　it；　even　if　it　should　be　necessary　for　me　to
walk　on　thorns　and　pointed　swords！〃

〃The　goal　lies　before　us　clearly　and　distinctly；〃　said　Gentz；　sadly；
〃but　the　way　leading　to　it　is　still　obstructed；　and　so　narrow　and
low　that　we　are　compelled；　for　the　time　being；　to　advance　very
slowly　on　our　knees。　But　we　must　take　spades　and　work；　so　that　the
way　may　become　wider　and　higher；　and　that　we　may　walk　on　it　one　day；
not　with　bowed　heads；　but　drawn　up　to　our　full　height；　our　eyes
flashing；　and　sword　in　hand。　Let　us　prepare　for　that　day；　let　us
work　in　the　dark　shaft；　and　other　laborers　will　join　us；　and；　like
us；　take　spades　and　dig；　and　in　the　dead　of　night；　with　curses　on
our　lips　and　prayers　in　our　hearts；　we　will　dig　on；　dig　like　moles；
until　we　have　finally　reached　our　goal；　and　burst　forth　into　the
sunshine　of　the　day　which　will　restore　liberty　to　Germany。　At　the
present　time；　Secret　societies　may　become　very　useful。　I　always
hated　and　despised　whatever　bore　that　name；　but　necessity　knows　no
law；　and　now　I　am　obliged　to　hail　them　as　the　harbingers　of　a
blessed　future。　＇Footnote：　Gentz's　own　words。Vide
〃Correspondence；〃　etc。；　p。　163。＇　Like　the　first　church；　the　great
secret　society　of　Germany　ought　to　be　enthusiastic；　self…reliant；
and　thoroughly　organized；　its　aim　ought　to　be　the　destruction　of
Bonaparte's　tyranny；　reconstruction　of　the　states；　restoration　of
the　legitimate　sovereigns；　introduction　of　a　better　system　of
government；　and；　last；　everlasting　resistance　to　the　principles
which　have　brought　about　our　indifference；　prostration；　and
meanness。　And　now；　Marianne；　I　come　to　ask　you　as　the　worthiest
patriot；　as　the　most　intrepid　and　generous　man　I　know　and　revere
Marianne；　will　you　join　this；　secret　society？〃

He　gave　her　his　hand　with　a　glance　full　of　the　most　profound
emotion；　and　she　returned　his　glance　with　her　large；　open　eyes；
warmly　grasping　his　hand。

〃I　will；　so　help　me　God！〃　she　said；　solemnly；　〃I　will　join　your
secret　society；　and　I　will　travel　around　and　win　over　men　to　our