andreas hofer-第93部分
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honesty of their adored archduke and withdraw from him their love;
which was to erect a throne for him?〃
〃No; your majesty;〃 said John; looking him full in the face; 〃I mean
that I have pledged my word to protect the Tyrolese; and help and
succor them in their struggle for liberty and for their emperor; and
that I will not incur the disgrace of having cheated a whole people
and abused their confidence and love in the most revolting manner。〃
〃Oh; you want to intimate to me once more that I have done sothat
I have abused the confidence and love of the Tyrolese in a revolting
manner?〃 asked the emperor; with a freezing smile。 〃No matter; keep
your opinion; but you shall surely obey me; and do it at once in my
presence。 Seat yourself at my writing…table yonder。 You are a
scholar; and know how to wield the pen quickly and skilfully。 Write;
therefore。 Inform the faithful Tyrolese that peace has been
concluded; order them to lay down their arms and submit obediently
to their new master。〃
〃I cannot; brother;〃 cried John; mournfully。 〃Have mercy upon me! I
cannot deliver a whole people to the executioner's axe。 For; if you
withdraw your hand from the Tyrol; if you surrender it to the tender
mercies of the Bavarians and French; they will wreak a fearful
revenge on the Tyrolese for all the defeats and humiliations which
the heroic mountaineers have made them undergo。〃
〃That will deter the mountaineers from entering into any more
conspiracies and revolutions; and teach them to be patient and
submissive; and they will thereby become an awful example to my own
subjects。 Do not disobey me any longer。 Seat yourself and write;
archduke!〃
〃No;〃 cried John; vehemently; 〃your majesty may punish me as a
rebel; take my life; or sentence me to everlasting imprisonment; but
I cannot obey! I cannot write such a proclamation!〃
〃I shall not punish you as a rebel;〃 said the emperor; shrugging his
shoulders; 〃I shall not take your life; I shall not sentence you to
everlasting imprisonment; but I will withdraw my hand entirely from
the Tyrol。 I will not; as I had resolved and stipulated expressly;
give the fugitive Tyrolese; if they should succeed in crossing the
frontier; an asylum here in Austria; and protect them to the best of
my power; but I will deliver them as escaped criminals to their
legitimate sovereigns; that they may punish them according to their
deserts。 Nor shall I; as I intended to do; stipulate in the treaty
of peace that the ancient constitution shall be confirmed and
guaranteed to the Tyrolese; nor shall I; finally; as I had resolved
to do; appoint a commission which will afford relief to the
fugitives who escape with their families to Austria。 It will be your
fault if the poor Tyrolese are deprived of these boons; and you will
expose the deserted people to the most fearful persecutions。〃
〃No; your majesty; no one shall ever be able to say that;〃 cried
John; profoundly moved。 〃I will obey your order and draw up the
proclamation。〃
He hastened to the writing…table; and; throwing himself on a chair
in front of it; uttered a deep groan and dropped his head on his
breast as though he were dying。
〃Well; do not reflect so long; brother;〃 said Francis; 〃but write!〃
John took up the pen; and; restraining the tears which filled his
eyes; wrote quickly a few lines。 He then rose as pale as a corpse;
and; approaching the emperor slowly; handed the paper to him。
〃Your majesty;〃 he said; solemnly; 〃I have complied with your order。
I inform the Tyrolese that peace has been concluded; and exhort them
to submit。 Will you now fulfil the conditions; on account of which I
have written this to the Tyrolese? Will you grant an asylum here in
Austria to those who shall succeed in escaping their tormentors and
executioners? Will you appoint an imperial commission which will
afford relief to the fugitives and their families?; And last; will
you see to it that the ancient constitution is guaranteed to the
Tyrolese in the treaty of peace you?〃
〃I pledged you my word that I would do so; dear brother〃 said the
emperor; smiling; 〃and you yourself said a while ago; 'Never will an
Emperor of Austria break his word and incur the disgrace of
perjuring himself。' Well; read to me now what you have written。 I
should like to hear it from your own lips。〃
The archduke bowed and read in a tremulous voice:
〃Dear; brave Tyrolese: The news that peace has been concluded will
soon reach you。 The emperor has ordered me to confirm this
intelligence to you。 The emperor would have done every thing to
fulfil the wishes of the Tyrol; but; however great an interest the
emperor takes in the fate of the honest and excellent inhabitants of
that province; he has had to submit to the stern necessity of making
peace。 I inform you of this by order of his majesty; with the
addition that it is his majesty's wish that the Tyrolese should keep
quiet and not sacrifice themselves needlessly。〃
〃The Archduke John。〃
〃H'm!〃 said the emperor; taking the paper from John's hand and
contemplating it attentively; 〃it is written quite laconically
indeed。 But; no matter; you have complied with my order and done
your duty。〃
〃I thank your majesty for this acknowledgment。 And now that I have
done my duty; I request your majesty to be so gracious as to dismiss
me from your service; and permit me to retire from the court into
private life。 I feel weak and exhausted; and need repose。 Moreover;
since we have peace now; my services are superfluous and may be
easily dispensed with。〃
〃And you wish me to dismiss you very speedily; do you not?〃 asked
the emperor; sarcastically。 〃You would like to retire as quickly as
possible into private life; that the whole world; and; above all;
the dear Tyrolese; may perceive that the noble and beloved Archduke
John is dissatisfied with the treaty; and has therefore withdrawn in
anger from the court and service of his emperor? I am sorry that I
cannot afford you this satisfaction。 You will remain in the service;
I do not accept your resignation。 I do not permit you to retire into
private life。 You should devote your abilities to the state; you are
not allowed to withhold your services from it at this juncture。〃
〃Your majesty; I can no longer be useful to the state。 I am
exhausted to death。 I repeat my request in the most urgent manner:
dismiss me from the service; and permit me to retire into private
life。〃
〃What!〃 cried Francis; vehemently。 〃Your emperor has informed you of
his will; and you dare to oppose it? That is a violation of
subordination; for which the emperor; as supreme commander of his
army; would punish his rebellious general rigorously; but for the
fact that this general unfortunately is his brother。 I repeat it; I
do not accept your resignation。 You remain in the service; I demand
it as your general…in…chief; I remind you of the oath of allegiance
which you have sworn to me; your emperor and master。〃
〃Your majesty does right in reminding me of the oath I took;〃 said
the archduke; with freezing coldness。 〃It is true; I swore that
oath; and as I am in the habit of keeping my word; and as it is
disgraceful for any one to break his word and perjure himself; I
shall fulfil my oath。 Hence; I shall obey my emperor and general…in…
chief; and not leave the service。 But now I ask leave of your
majesty to withdraw for to…day; if your majesty has nothing further
to say to me。〃
〃Yes; I have something else to say to you; my dear brother;〃 said
the emperor; smilingly。 〃I will give you a proof of the great
confidence which I repose in you; and with which I count upon your
discretion。 I will communicate to you a family secret which is known
at present only to the Emperor Napoleon; Baron von Thugut; who acted
as my agent on this occasion; and myself。〃
〃What!〃 asked John; in surprise; 〃the Emperor Napoleon is aware of a
family secret of your majesty?〃
〃As it concerns himself; he must be aware of it;〃 said the emperor。
〃Napoleon intends to marry a second time。〃
〃A second time? Has his first wife; the Empress Josephine; then;
died suddenly?〃
〃No; she still lives; and is acting yet at this moment in Paris as
the emperor's legitimate consort。 But Napoleon; immediately after
his return from Germany; will annul this marriage; which was never
consecrated by a priest; he will divorce himself solemnly from his
wife; and have then the right of marrying a second time。 He
requested my secret agent; Baron von Thugut; to ask me if I would
consent to a marriage between him and an archduchess of Austria。 I
replied in the affirmative; and this agreement forms one of the
secret articles of the treaty of peace。〃
〃An archduchess of Austria is to become the consort of the French
despot!〃 cried John; in dismay。 〃And who; your majesty; is to be
sacrificed to the Minotaur? Which of your sisters or cousins will
you let him have?〃
〃None of my cousins or sisters;〃 said Francis; calmly; 〃but my
eldest daughter; Maria Louisa; is to become the consort of the
Emperor Napoleon。〃
〃Maria Louisa!;〃 cried John; with an expression of dismay。 〃Maria
Louisa!〃
And John staggered back several steps; as pale as a corpse; and
grasped the back of the chair in order not to sink to the floor。
Francis did not seem to perceive this。 〃Yes; Maria Louisa will be
Napoleon's second consort;〃 he said。 〃Every thing is settled
already; and the marriage will take place next March。 I think;
brother; you may stand proxy for Napoleon on that occasion。〃
The archduke gave a start; and pressed his hands to his temples as
if he were afraid lest this dreadful 〃family secret〃 would burst his
head。
〃Your majesty;〃 he said; in a tremulous and almost inaudible voice;
〃I beg leave to withdraw。〃
Without waiting for a reply; the archduke turned and left the room
with a tottering step; and leaning now and then against the wall in
order not to sink to the floor。
The emperor looked after him; smilingly。 〃It seems Hudelist was not
mistaken;〃 he said。 〃My dear brother really loved Maria Louisa; and
intended to become my son…in…law。 What a nice idea! But he must give
it up now。 HeHoly Virgin! What noise is that in