Books: NAPOLEON AND BLUCHER

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"Ah," exclaimed Hardenberg, quickly, "you admit, then, that this
reinforcement in Brandenburg is intended to be permanent? But I have
not yet laid all my complaints before your excellency. I believe you
are aware that, according to the last convention between France and
Prussia, no French troops at all are to occupy Potsdam and its
environs, and that they are not to stay there even for a single
night?"

"Yes; I am aware of this stipulation, and believe it has hitherto
been carefully observed."

"Hitherto--that is to say, until to-day! But this fore-noon, at the
very hour we were at church witnessing the confirmation of the
prince, whom you wish to be as a new tie between France and Prussia,
this stipulation was violated in as incomprehensible as mortifying a
manner. Four thousand men of Grenier's division have marched this
morning from Brandenburg to Potsdam, and have tried forcibly--do you
understand me, your excellency?--forcibly to occupy this city. The
municipal authorities vainly endeavored to assure them that this was
entirely inadmissible, and it was only after a very stormy scene
that they succeeded in prevailing upon the troops to leave Potsdam,
and withdraw several miles from the city [Footnote: Beitzke's
"History of the War of Liberation," vol. i. p. 162.]. If no blood
was shed, it was not owing to the disposition of your troops, but to
the prudence and moderation of the Prussian authorities. Now, count;
you fully comprehend the exasperation of my master, the king; and I
hope you will give me the satisfactory explanation which he has
commissioned me to request."

"Your excellency," said St. Marsan, greatly surprised, "I really do
not comprehend why the king should be so irritated at this trifling
deviation from the stipulation of the treaties. You yourself said it
would be impossible to find quarters and sustenance for so large a
number of troops in the province of Brandenburg. This fact involved
the military commanders in difficulties, and explains why they at
last thought of sending a detachment to Potsdam, where there are so
much room and so many vacant barracks. We could not suppose that the
king would object to this, and that the sight of the brave French
soldiers would fill the ally of the Emperor of the French with
feelings of displeasure and indignation. But, you see, the troops
yielded to the will of the king, and left the city."

"But they remained near enough to be able to reoccupy it at the
first signal."

"And does your excellency believe that the French authorities might
have occasion to call troops to their assistance?" asked Count St.
Marsan, casting a quick, searching glance at the chancellor.

But Hardenberg's countenance remained perfectly calm and unchanged;
only the faint glimmer of a smile was playing round his thin lips.
"I do not know," he said, "what motives might induce the French
authorities to call troops to their assistance, as they are not in a
hostile country, but in that of an ally, unless it were that they
look upon every free expression of the royal will as an unfriendly
demonstration, and interpret as an act of hostility, for instance,
the king's determination not to reside at Berlin, but at Potsdam,
or, according to his pleasure, in any other city of the kingdom."

"The king, then, intends to leave Potsdam and remove to another
city?" inquired St. Marsan, quickly.

"I do not say that exactly," replied Hardenberg, smiling and
hesitating: "but I should not be greatly surprised if, to avoid the
quarrels between the French and Prussian authorities, and not to
witness perhaps another violation of the treaties, and a repeated
attempt of the French commanders to occupy Potsdam, he should remove
to another city, where his majesty would be safe from such
annoyances."

"The king intends to leave Potsdam," said St. Marsan to himself. He
added aloud: "I do not know, however, of any city in the kingdom of
Prussia where, owing to the present cordial relations between
Prussia and France, there are no French authorities and French
troops.--Yes, it occurs to me that, according to the treaties
concluded last year, there are no French troops in the province of
Silesia, except on the military road from Glogau to Dresden, and
that they and their auxiliaries are expressly forbidden to pass
through Breslau. Breslau, then, would be a city where the king would
not run the risk of meeting French troops."

"You admit, then, that it is dangerous for the king to meet them? In
that case it would truly be a very justifiable and wise step for the
king to repair to Breslau."

"It is settled, then, that the king will go to Breslau?" asked St.
Marsan. "Your excellency intended to be so kind as to intimate this
to me?"

"It is settled, then, that the king is in danger near the French
troops?" asked Hardenberg. "Your excellency intended to be so kind
as to intimate this to me? Ah, it seems to me we have been playing
hide and seek for half an hour, while both of us really ought to be
frank and sincere."

"Well, then, let us be," exclaimed St. Marsan. "I have likewise
reason to complain, and must demand explanations. What does it mean
that the Prussian government has suddenly dispatched orders to all
provincial authorities to recall the furloughed soldiers and proceed
to another draft; that artillery-horses are bought, and a vast
quantity of uniforms made?"

"It means simply, your excellency, that the King of Prussia expects
to be requested by his ally, the Emperor of the French, to furnish
him additional auxiliaries, and that he hastes to make the necessary
preparations, to be able to comply at the earliest moment. These
preparations, moreover, had to be made in so hasty a manner,
because, as soon as the Russians advance farther into the interior
of Prussia, of course both a conscription and the recall of the
furloughed soldiers would be impossible."

"But this is not all. The king yesterday authorized the minister of
finance to issue ten million dollars in treasury-notes, to be taken
at par. What is this enormous sum destined for, M. Chancellor? Why
does the king suddenly need so many millions?"

"You ask what the king needs so much money for? Sir, the clause
ordering these treasury-notes at par would be a sufficient reply to
your question. When a government is unable to procure funds in any
other way than by compelling its subjects to take its treasury-notes
at par, it proves that it has no credit to negotiate a loan--no
property which it might render available; it proves that not only
its treasury, but the resources of the country, are completely
exhausted, and that it has reached a point where it must either go
into hopeless bankruptcy or endeavor to maintain itself by
palliatives. Prussia has come to this. Let us not examine by whose
fault or by what accumulation of expenses and obligations, this
condition of affairs has been brought about; but the fact remains,
and, as the king is unwilling that the state should be declared
bankrupt, he resorts to a palliative, and issues ten million dollars
in treasury-notes. In this manner he obtains funds, is enabled to
relieve the distress of his subjects, and to procure horses and
uniforms for the new regiments to join the forces of his ally, the
Emperor Napoleon. Does not this account for the issue? Are you
satisfied with this explanation, count?"

"I am; for I have no doubt that your excellency is sincere."

"Have we not yet proved that we are sincere?" exclaimed Hardenberg,
in a tone of virtuous indignation. "Notwithstanding all allurements
and promises by which Russia is trying to gain us over to her side,
we are standing by France--and, please do not forget, at a time when
she is overwhelmed with calamities, we give her our soldiers, and,
the old ones having perished, recruit and equip new ones for her; we
make all possible sacrifices--nay, we even run the risk of making
the king lose the sympathies of his own subjects, who, you know, are
not very favorable to a continuation of this alliance! And still
France doubts the king's fidelity and my own heartfelt devotion! he
entertains such doubts at a moment when I declare it to be my chief
object to effect a marriage of the crown prince with an imperial
princess; and when I have already succeeded so far that I believe I
may almost positively promise that the king will give his consent."

"What!" exclaimed St. Marsan, surprised. "The king consents to such
a marriage?"

"He will," said Hardenberg, smiling, "provided France make the first
overtures, secure him important advantages, and raise the kingdom to
a higher rank among the states of Europe." [Footnote: Beitzke, vol.
i., p. 159]

"Oh, the emperor, will grant Prussia all this," said St. Marsan,
joyously. "It is too important to his majesty, when a princess of
his family ascends the throne of Prussia, that he should not
willingly comply with all the wishes of his future brother, the King
of Prussia."

"Then we are agreed," exclaimed Hardenberg, offering his hand to the
count, "and all misunderstandings have been satisfactorily
explained. Only confide in us--firmly believe that the system of the
king has undergone no alteration--that no overtures, direct or
indirect, have been made to Russia, and that he has rejected the
offers which she has made to him. The repudiation of General York's
course is a sufficient proof of all this. Only believe our
protestations, count, and entreat your emperor to dismiss the
distrust he still seems to feel, and which alienates the hearts of
the greatest emperor and the noblest king."

"I will inform his majesty of the very words your excellency has
addressed me, and I have no doubt that the emperor on reading them
will have the same gratification with which I have heard them.
Thanks, therefore, your excellency! And now I will not detain you
longer from enjoying your dinner. Both of us have returned from
Potsdam without dining, and it is but natural that we should make up
for it now. Therefore, farewell, your excellency!"

Hardenberg gave him his arm, and conducted him with kind and
friendly words into the anteroom.

"Does your excellency think," said St. Marsan, on taking leave,
"that I may venture to-morrow to go to Potsdam and personally
inquire about his majesty's health?"

"Your excellency had better wait two or three days," said
Hardenberg, after a moment's reflection. "By that time I shall have
succeeded in overcoming the king's displeasure, and if the French
troops in the mean time have made no further attempts to occupy
Potsdam, but, on the contrary, have withdrawn still farther from the
city, it will be easy for me to persuade the king that the whole
occurrence was a mere misunderstanding. Have patience, then, for
three days, my dear count!"

"Well, then, for three days. But then I shall see the king at
Potsdam, shall I not?"

"Ah," exclaimed Hardenberg, smiling, "how can I know where it will
please his majesty to be three days hence? The king is his own
master, and I should think at liberty to go hither and thither as he
pleases, provided he does not go to the Russian camp, and I would be
able to prevent that."

"It is certain," muttered Count St. Marsan, when he was alone in his
carriage, "it is certain that the king will no longer be at Potsdam
three days hence, but intends to remove secretly, and establish his
court at a greater distance. The moment, therefore, has come when we
must act energetically. The troops have come for this very purpose,
and the emperor's orders instruct us, in case the king should
manifest any inclination to renew his former alliance with Russia,
and to break with France, immediately to seize the king's person, in
order to deprive the Prussian nation, which is hostile to us, of its
leader and standard-bearer. Well, then, the orders of the emperor
must be carried into execution. We must try to have the king
arrested to-day. I shall immediately take the necessary steps, and
send couriers to Greiner's troops." The carriage stopped, and Count
St. Marsan, forgetful of his dinner, hastened into his cabinet, and
sent for his private secretaries. An hour afterward two couriers
left the French legation, and shortly after an elegant carriage
rolled from the gateway. Two footmen, who did not wear their
liveries, were seated on the high box; but no one was able to
perceive who sat inside, for the silken window-curtains had been
lowered.

Chancellor von Hardenberg, after the French ambassador left him,
instead of going to the dining-room, returned to his cabinet. Like
Count St. Marsan, he seemed to have forgotten his dinner. With his
hands folded behind him, he was slowly pacing his room, and a proud
smile was beaming in his face. "I hope," he said to himself, "I have
succeeded in reassuring, and yet alarming the count. He believes in
me and in the sincerity of my sentiments, and hence in the fidelity
of Prussia to France, and this reassures him; but he understood very
well the hints I dropped about the possibility of the king leaving
Potsdam and going to Breslau, and this alarms him. He may, perhaps,
be hot-headed enough to allow himself to be carried away by his
uneasiness, and make an attempt to seize the king. If he should, I
have won my game, and shall succeed in withdrawing the king from his
reach by conveying him to Breslau. Well, fortunately, I have a
reliable agent at the count's house, and if any thing should happen,
he will take good care to let me know it immediately. I may,
therefore, tranquilly wait for further developments." At this moment
the door opened, and Conrad, the old valet de chambre, entered,
presenting a letter on a silver tray to the chancellor of state.

"From whom?" asked Hardenberg.

"From her!" whispered Conrad, anxiously. "Her nurse brought the
letter a few minutes ago, and she says it ought to be at once
delivered to your excellency."

"Very well," said Hardenberg, beckoning to Conrad to leave the room.
But Conrad did not go; he remained at the door, and cast imploring
glances on his master.

"Well," inquired Hardenberg, impatiently, "do you want to tell me
any thing else?"

"I do," said Conrad, timidly; "I just wished to tell you that her
excellency Madame von Hardenberg has condescended again this morning
to box my ears, because I refused to tell her whither his excellency
the chancellor went every evening."

"Poor Conrad!" said Hardenberg, smiling, "my wife will assuredly pat
your cheeks until they are insensible. There, take this little
golden plaster."

He offered a gold-piece to Conrad, but the faithful servant refused
to accept it. "No, your excellency, I do not wish it, for I have as
much as I need, and I know that your excellency will take care of me
when I am too old and feeble to work. I only intended to take the
liberty to caution your excellency, so that you may be a little on
your guard. Madame von Hardenberg has told her lady's-maid that she
intends to follow the chancellor to-night, in order to find out
whither he goes, and that she then would go in the morning to the
lady and make such a fuss as to deter her from receiving your
excellency any more. The lady's-maid has confided this to me, und
ordered me to report it immediately, for you know that we all would
willingly die for you, and that even the female servants of her
excellency remain with her only because they love and adore you, and
because it is a great honor to belong to the household of a master
whom all Berlin loves and reveres."

"I thank you and the others for your attachment and fidelity," said
Hardenberg, nodding kindly to his old servant. "Tell my wife's maid
that I am especially obliged to her, and that I desire her to
continue serving me faithfully. For what you all have to suffer by
the displeasure of my wife, I shall take pains to indemnify you,
particularly if you mention as little as possible to outsiders any
thing about the state of affairs prevailing in my family, and the
sufferings we all have to undergo in consequence of it. Go, Conrad;
be reticent and vigilant! I shall profit by your advice, and my wife
will be none the wiser." He nodded once more to Conrad, and, when
the servant left the room, Hardenberg turned his eyes again toward
the little note which he still held unopened in his hand. He
unfolded it hastily and read. It contained only the following words:
"My predictions are producing a good effect. Dear Kockeritz is
greatly alarmed for the safety of his beloved king, and even old
Kalkreuth was startled by the terrible prophecies of the
clairvoyante. I am sure both of them will advise the king to shun
the danger, and transfer the seat of government to some other place.
Heaven grant that their words may be impressive, and that we may
attain our object--for you, the liberty of Prussia; for me, the
thraldom of my heart! For what else do I wish than to be your slave,
and to lie at your feet, to narrate to you the story of my love? For
you I wish to be an humble slave; for all others, Diavolezza
Frederica, the watchmaker's daughter--and when shall I become a
marquise?"

"It is true," said Hardenberg, smiling, and tearing the paper in
small pieces; "it is true, she is a diavolezza, but one of the most
amiable and charming sort, and perhaps ere long I shall,
notwithstanding her deviltry, consider her an angel, and believe her
charming comedy to be entirely true and sincere. But this is no time
for thinking of such things. The grave affairs of life require our
exclusive attention. Kockeritz, then, has been convinced, and even
Kalkreuth has been shaken in his stupid belief in the French! Well,
may we at length succeed in taking the fortress of this royal
heart!--Ah, some one raps again at the door! Come in! What, Conrad,
it is you again? Do you come to tell me that my wife has again boxed
your ears?"

"No," said Conrad, smiling. "This time I have to announce a French
soldier, who insists on seeing your excellency. He says he has found
a precious ornament which you have lost, and for which he would
himself get his reward."

"Well, let him come in; we shall see what he brings me," said
Hardenberg.

A few minutes afterward Conrad opened the door, and a French soldier
entered the room. "Now, let us see what you have found, my friend,"
said Hardenberg, "and what you bring back to me before I have missed
it."

"Your excellency, it is a precious ornament," said the soldier; "but
I must give it to you in secret."

"Withdraw, Conrad," said Hardenberg, beckoning to the servant, who
had remained at the door, and was distrustfully and anxiously
watching every motion of the soldier.

Conrad obeyed, but he left the door ajar, and remained close to it,
ready to reenter the cabinet at the first word of his beloved
master.

"Now we are alone. Speak!" said Hardenberg.

"Your excellency," whispered the soldier, advancing several steps,
"the valet de chambre of Count St. Marsan--that is to say, my
brother--has sent me to you. He dares not himself come, for the
house of your excellency is watched by spies, and he would instantly
be suspected, if he were seen entering it. I am to ask your
excellency whether you will give me twenty louis d'ors for a letter
from my brother which I am to deliver to yon."

"This letter, then, contains highly important information?"

"Yes, your excellency; my brother says he would let you have it at
so low a rate because he had so long been connected with you, and
because you had always treated him in a munificent manner."

"Does your brother require me to pay that sum before I have received
the letter?"

"He said he would leave that entirely to your excellency; only he
thinks it would be more advantageous to you to pay the money before
reading the letter."

"How so, more advantageous to me?"

"Because your excellency, after reading it, would doubtless, in your
joy at having received this singular and important information, pay
him a larger sum than he himself had asked."

"In that case I prefer to read the letter first," said Hardenberg,
smiling, "for I must not allow your brother's generosity to surpass
mine."

"Well, then, your excellency, here is the letter," said the soldier,
handing a small, folded paper to the chancellor of state.

Hardenberg took it, and, as if to prevent the soldier from seeing
the expression of his face while he was reading it, he stepped into
the window-niche and turned his back to him. The soldier, however,
fixed his lurking glances on the chancellor. He saw that a sudden
shock made the whole frame of the chancellor tremble, and a
triumphant smile overspread the countenance of the secret observer.

After a few minutes Hardenberg turned round again, and, carefully
folding up the paper, concealed it in his bosom. "My friend," he
said, "your brother was right. Twenty louis d'ors would be too low a
price for this letter. We must pay more for it." He stepped to his
desk, and, opening one of the drawers, took a roll from it and
counted down a number of gold-pieces on the table. "Here are thirty
louis d'ors," said Hardenberg, "and one for your trouble. See
whether I have counted correctly. Tell your brother to continue
serving me faithfully, and furnishing me with reliable reports. He
may always count on my gratitude!"

Scarcely had the soldier left the room, when Hardenberg drew the
paper from his bosom and glanced over it again. "At length!" he
exclaimed, joyously. "The decisive moment is at hand! Now I hope to
attain my object!" He rang the bell violently. "Have my carriage
brought to the front door in half an hour," he said to Conrad, as
soon as he entered the room. "But my own horses are tired. Send for
four post-horses. A courier is immediately to set out for Potsdam,
and see to it that relay horses be in readiness for me at Steglitz
and Zehlendorf!"

CHAPTER XX.

THE ATTACK.

It was six o'clock in the afternoon. The gloomy January day had
already yielded to a dark, cold night, enshrouding the city and
vicinity of Potsdam. The king was, as usual, to go to Sans-Souci
toward nightfall. There, far from the turmoil of the world, he liked
to spend his mornings and evenings, retiring from intrusive eyes
into the quiet of his simple domestic life. Like his august grand-
uncle, Frederick II., the king laid down his crown and the splendor
of his position at the gates of the small palace of Sans-Souci, and,
at this country-seat, consecrated by so many historical
recollections, he was not a king, but a man, a father, and a friend.
At Sans-Souci his children gathered around him every evening, and,
by their mirth and tender love, endeavored to dispel the clouds from
the careworn brow of their father; at Sans-Souci, Frederick William
received the small circle of his intimate friends--there old General
von Kockeritz, Field-Marshal Kalkreuth, Count Dohna, Chancellor von
Hardenberg, and the few who had remained faithful to him, were
allowed to approach without ceremonial or etiquette. Foreign guests
and court visitors, however, were never received at the country
palace; he saw them only in the city of Potsdam, where he transacted
government affairs. Thither the king repaired punctually at ten
o'clock every morning, where took place the meetings of the cabinet,
the consultations with the high functionaries, the audiences given
to the foreign ambassadors, and the official levees, and there the
king took his dinner in the midst of his family and the officers of
his court. But as soon as the clock struck seven he entered his
carriage without any attendants, and drove out to Sans-Souci. This
had been his invariable habit for many years; and when the
inhabitants of the street leading to his country-seat heard the roll
of a carriage at that hour, they said as positively as though they
heard the clock striking, "It is just seven, for the king is driving
to Sans-Souci."

The coachman, as was his habit, as soon as the clock struck six,
would harness two horses to the plain carriage which the king always
used, and generally drove up to the small side-gate a few minutes to
seven o'clock. Without giving any orders, or uttering a word, the
king would enter, and noisily closing the door, give thereby the
signal to start. The chime of the neighboring church had just
commenced playing the first part of the old hymn of "Ueb immer Treu
mid Redlichkeit," [Footnote: "Practise always truth and honesty."]
thus indicating that it was half-past six when the carriage appeared
at the side-gate. The wind was howling across the palace square and
through the colonnade in front of the neighboring park, hurling the
snow into the face of the driver, and lifting up the cape of his
cloak around his head, as if to protect him from the cold and stormy
night. Thomas, the king's coachman, had just removed with some
difficulty the large cape from his face, and rubbed the snow from
his eyes, when he heard the side-gate open. A dark figure emerged
from it and entered the carriage, and noisily closed the door.
Thomas had received his accustomed signal, and, although wondering
that the king had come fifteen minutes earlier than usual, he took
the reins, whipped the horses, and the carriage rolled away along
the route to Sans-Souci. The snow-storm drowned the roll of the
wheels, and rendered the vehicle almost invisible; besides, there
was no one to take particular notice of it, for only here and there
some closely-muffled person was to be seen on the street, too busy
with himself--too much engaged in holding fast his fluttering cloak
and protecting himself from the driving snow.