louisa of prussia and her times-第111部分

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wave　of　his　hand；　Count　Haugwitz　glided；　with　his　imperturbable
smile；　to　his　side。

〃See　here；〃　exclaimed　Napoleon；　pointing　at　the　map；　〃this　is
Silesia；　your　native　country。　The　king　does　not　rule　over　the　whole
of　it；　the　Emperor　of　Austria　still　retaining　a　portion　of　it；　but
that　splendid　province　ought　to　belong　exclusively　to　Prussia。　We
will　see　and　consider　how　far　your　southern　frontier　ought　to　be
extended。　Just　follow　my　finger　on　the　map；　it　will　designate　to　you
the　new　boundaries　of　Prussian　Silesia。〃　＇Footnote：　Napoleon's　own
words。〃Memoires　inedits；〃　p。　17。＇

And　Napoleon's　forefinger　passed；　flashing　like　a　dagger…point；
across　the　map；　and　encircled　the　whole　Austrian　portion　of　Silesia；
from　Teschen　to　the　Saxon　frontier；　and　from　the　mountains　of
Yablunka　to　the　point　where　the　Riesengebirge　disappears　in　Lusatia。
＇Footnote：　Ibid。；　p。　18。＇　　〃Well；〃　he　then　asked；　hastily；　〃would
not　such　an　arrangement　round　off　your　Silesian　province　in　the　most
desirable　manner？〃

Count　Haugwitz　did　not　reply　immediately；　but　continued　gazing　at
the　map。　Napoleon's　eagle　glance　rested　on　him　for　a　moment；　and
then　passed　on　to　the　busts　of　Maria　Theresa　and　Frederick　the
Great。

〃Oh；〃　he　exclaimed；　with　a　triumphant　smile；　pointing　to　the　bust　of
Frederick；　〃that　great　man　would　have　accepted　my　proposition
without　any　hesitation　whatever。〃

〃Sire；〃　said　Count　Haugwitz；　hesitatingly；　〃but　that　great　woman；
Maria　Theresa；　would　not　have　permitted　it　so　easily。〃

〃But　now；〃　exclaimed　Napoleon；　〃now　there　is　no　Maria　Theresa　to
hinder　the　King　of　Prussia；　now　I　am　here；　and　I　grant　the　whole　of
Silesia　to　your　king　if　he　will　conclude　a　close　alliance　with　me。
Consider　well；　can　you　be　insensible　of　the　glory　which　awaits　you？〃

And　his　eyes　again　pierced　the　embarrassed　face　of　the　count　like
two　dagger…points。

〃Sire；〃　said　Haugwitz；　in　a　low　voice；　〃your　proposition　is
tempting；　it　is　admirable；　but　as　far　as　I　know　his　majesty　the
king；　I　must？〃

〃Oh；〃　said　Napoleon；　impatiently；　〃do　not　allude　to　the　king　and　his
person。　We　have　nothing　to　do　with　that。　You　are　minister；　and　it
behooves　you　to　fulfil　the　duties　which　your　position　demands　from
you；　and　to　embrace　the　opportunity　which　will　never　return。　One
must　be　powerful；　one　can　never　be　sufficiently　so；　believe　me；　and
consider　well　before　replying　to　me。〃

〃But；　perhaps；　sire；　it　would　be　better　for　us　to　seek　for
aggrandizement　on　another　side；〃　said　Haugwitz。

〃On　the　side　of　Poland　or　France；　I　suppose？〃　asked　Napoleon；
harshly。　〃You　would　like　to　deprive　me　again　of　Mentz；　Cleves；　and
the　left　bank　of　the　Rhine；　and　you　flirt　with　Russia　and　Austria
because　you　hope　they　might　assist　you　one　day；　after　all；　in
obtaining　those　territories？　But；　on　the　other　hand；　you　would　not
like　to　quarrel　with　me；　because　there　is　a　possibility　that　your
hopes　will　not　be　fulfilled；　and　because；　in　such　an　eventuality；
you　would　fear　my　enmity。　You　Prussians　want　to　be　the　allies　of
every　one；　that　is　impossible；　and　you　must　decide　for　me　or　for　the
others。　I　demand　sincerity；　or　shall　break　loose　from　you；　for　I
prefer　open　enemies　to　false　friends。　Your　king　tolerates　in　Hanover
a　corps　of　thirty　thousand　men；　which；　through　his　states；　keeps　up
a　connection　with　the　great　Russian　army；　that　is　an　act　of　open
hostility。　As　for　me；　I　attack　my　enemies　wherever　I　may　find　them。
If　I　wished　to　do　so；　I　might　take　a　terrible　revenge　for　this
dishonesty。　I　could　invade　Silesia；　cause　an　insurrection　in　Poland；
and　deal　Prussia　blows　from　which　she　would　never　recover。　But　I
prefer　forgetting　the　past；　and　pursuing　a　generous　course。　I　will；
therefore；　forgive　Prussia's　rashness；　but　only　on　condition　that
Prussia　should　unite　with　France　by　indissoluble　ties；　and　as　a
guaranty　of　this　alliance；　I　require　Prussia　to　take　possession　of
Hanover。〃　＇Footnote：　Napoleon's　own　words。？　〃Memoires　ineidits；〃　p。
20＇

〃Sire；〃　exclaimed　Haugwitz；　joyfully；　〃this　was　the　desirable
aggrandizement　which　I　took　the　liberty　of　hinting　at　before；　and　I
believe　it　is　the　only　one　which　the　king's　conscience　would　allow
him　to　accept。〃

〃Very　well；　take　Hanover；　then；〃　said　Napoleon；　〃I　cede　my　claims　on
it　to　Prussia；　but　in　return　Prussia　cedes　to　France　the
principality　of　Neufchatel　and　the　fortress　of　Wesel；　and　to　Bavaria
the　principality　of　Anspach。〃

〃But；　sire；〃　exclaimed　Haugwitz；　anxiously；　〃Anspach　belongs　to
Prussia　by　virtue　of　family　treaties　which　cannot　be　contested；　and
Neufchatel？〃

〃No　objections；〃　interrupted　Napoleon；　sternly；　〃my　terms　must　be
complied　with。　Either　war　or　peace。　War；　that　is　to　say；　I　crush
Prussia；　and　become　her　inexorable　enemy　forever；　peace；　that　is　to
say；　I　give　you　Hanover　and　receive　for　it　Neufchatel；　Wesel；　and
Anspach。　Now；　make　up　your　mind　quickly；　I　am　tired　of　the　eternal
delays　and　procrastinations。　I　want　you　to　come　at　length　to　a
decision；　and　you　will　not　leave　this　room　until　I　have　received　a
categorical　reply。　You　have　had　time　enough　to　take　every　thing　into
consideration；　hence　you　must　not　equivocate　any　more。　Tell　me；
therefore；　quickly　and　categorically；　what　do　you　want；　war　or
peace？〃

〃Sire；　〃said　Haugwitz；　imploringly；　〃what　else　can　Prussia　want　than
peace　with　France。〃

〃Indeed；　it　is　an　excellent　bargain　you　make　on　this　occasion；〃
exclaimed　Napoleon。　〃Neufchatel　is　for　Prussia　a　doomed　position；　to
which；　moreover；　she　has　got　but　extremely　doubtful　rights。　In
return　for　it；　for　Wesel　and　Anspach；　with　their　four　hundred
thousand　inhabitants；　you　receive　Hanover；　which　is　contiguous　to
Prussia；　and　contains　more　than　a　million　inhabitants！　I　believe
Prussia　ought　to　be　content　with　such　an　aggrandizement。〃

〃Sire；〃　said　Hangwitz；　〃she　would　be　especially　content　if　she
should　obtain　the　faithful　and　influential　friendship　of　France；　and
be　able　to　retain　it　forever。〃

〃You　may　rely　on　my　word；〃　replied　the　emperor；　〃I　am　always
faithful　to　my　enemies　as　well　as　to　my　friends。　I　crush　the　former
and　promote　the　interests　of　the　latter　whenever　an　opportunity
offers。　We　will；　however；　prove　to　each　other　that　we　are　in　earnest
about　this　alliance；　and　draw　up　its　stipulations　even　to　day。
Grandmarshal　Duroc　has　already　received　my　instructions　concerning
this　matter；　and　he　will　lay　before　you　the　particulars　of　the
offensive　and　defensive　alliance　to　be　concluded　between　France　and
Prussia。　Be　kind　enough　to　go　to　him　and　settle　every　thing　with
him；　so　that　we　may　sign　the　document　as　soon　as　possible。　Go；　my
dear　count；　but　first　accept　my　congratulations；　for　at　this　hour
you　have　done　an　important　service　to　Prussia：　you　have　saved　her
from　destruction。　I　should　have　crushed　her　like　a　toy　in　my　hand　if
you　had　rejected　my　offers　of　friendship。　Go；　the　grand…marshal　is
waiting　for　you。〃　＇Footnote：　The　offensive　and　defensive　alliance
between　the　Emperor　of　France　and　the　King　of　Prussia　was　concluded
agreeably　to　the　demands　of　Napoleon。　Count　Haugwitz；　without
obtaining　further　instructions　from　his　sovereign；　signed　it　on　the
15th　of　December。　The　same　day；　in　accordance　with　the　treaty　of
Potsdam；　he　was　to　have　delivered　to　Napoleon　Prussia's　declaration
of　war。　Owing　to　the　conclusion　of　this　alliance；　the　position　of
Austria　became　utterly　untenable；　and　she　was　obliged　to　accept　the
humiliating　terms　of　Napoleon；　and　to　sign；　on　the　26th　of　December；
1805；　the　peace　of　Presburg。　This　treaty　deprived　Austria　of　her
best　provinces；　which　were　annexed　to　France；　Bavaria；　Wurtemberg
and　Baden。　It　is　true；　Prussia　obtained　the　kingdom　of　Hanover　by
virtue　of　the　treaty　with　France；　but　this　was　an　illusory
aggrandizement　which　Prussia　would　have　to　conquer；　sword　in　hand；
from　England。＇　　He　nodded　a　parting　greeting　to　the　confused；　almost
stunned　count；　and　returned　to　his　maps；　thus　depriving　the　Prussian
minister　of　the　possibility　of　entering　into　further　explanations。
The　latter　heaved　a　profound　sigh；　and；　walking　backward；　turned
slowly　to　the　door。

Napoleon　took　no　further　notice　of　him；　he　seemed　wholly　absorbed　in
his　maps　and　plans；　only　when　the　door　closed　slowly　behind　the
count；　he　said；　in　a　low　voice：　〃He　will　sign　the　treaty；　and　then
Austria's　last　hope　is　gone！　Now　I　shall　assume　a　more　decided
attitude　in　Presburg；　and　Austria　will　accept　all　my　conditions；　she
will　be　obliged　to　cede　to　me　the　Netherlands；　Venice；　and　Tuscany；
for　now　she　cannot　count　any　longer　on　Prussia's　armed
intervention。〃




CHAPTER　LIII

JUDITH　AND　HOLOFERNES


Napoleon　was　still　engaged　in　studying　his　maps　and　in　changing　the
positions　of　the　pins　on　it。　From　time　to　time　he　was　interrupted　in
this　occupation　by　couriers　bringing　fresh　dispatches　from　Presburg
or　France；　but　he　constantly　returned　to　his　maps；　and　his　finger
passing　over　them　extinguished　kingdoms　and　boundaries　to　create　new
states　in　their　places。

Evening　was　already　drawing　near；　and　the　emperor　was　still　in　his
cabinet。　The　door　had　already　been　opened　repeatedly　in　a　cautious
manner；　and　Constant；　the　valet　de　chambre；　had　looked　in　with
prying　eyes；　but　seeing　the　emperor　so　busily　engaged；　he　had　always
withdrawn　cautiously　and　inaudibly。　At　length；　however；　he　seemed
tired　of　waiting　any　longer；　and　instead　of　withdrawing；　again　he
entered　and　closed　the　door　noiselessly。

The　noise　caused　the　emperor　to　start　up。

〃Well；　Constant；　what　is　the　matter？〃　he　asked。

〃Sire；〃　whispered　Constant；　in　a　low　voice；　as　though　he　were　afraid
the　walls　might　hear　him；　〃sire；　that　distinguished　lady　has　been
here　for　an　hour；　she　is　waiting　for　the　audience　your　majesty　has
granted　to　her。〃

〃Ah；　the　countess　or　princess；〃　said　Napoleon；　carelessly；　〃the
foolish　person　who　asserts　that　she　hated　me　formerly　but　loves　me
now？〃

〃Sire；　she　speaks　of　your　majesty　in　terms　of　the　most　unbounded
enthusiasm！〃

〃Ah；　bah！　Women　like　to　be　enthusiastic　admirers　of　somebody；　and　to
worship　him　with　the　gushing　transports　of　their　tender　hearts！
Would　so　many　women　go　into　convents　and　call　Christ　their
bridegroom；　if　it　were　not　so？　But　what　is　the　name　of　this　lady　who
has　be