Chapter XV. - THE LAST STRUGGLE FOR POWER.

Restless and anxious the two cavaliers of the king paced the anteroom, turning their eyes constantly toward the door which led into the king's study, and which had not been opened since yesterday morning. For twenty-four hours the king had not left his room. In vain had General Rothenberg and Duke Algarotti prayed for admittance.

The king had not even replied to them; he had, however, called Fredersdorf, and commanded him sternly to admit no one, and not to return himself unless summoned. The king would take no refreshment, would undress himself, required no assistance, and must not be disturbed in the important work which now occupied him.

This strict seclusion and unaccustomed silence made the king's friends and servants very anxious. With oppressed hearts they stood before the door and listened to every sound from the room. During many hours they heard the regular step of the king as he walked backward and forward; sometimes he uttered a hasty word, then sighed wearily, and nothing more.

Night came upon them. Pale with alarm, Rothenberg asked Algarotti if it was not their duty to force the door and ascertain the condition of his majesty.

„Beware how you take that rash step!“ said Fredersdorf, shaking his head. „The king's commands were imperative; he will be alone and undisturbed.“

„Have you no suspicion of the cause of his majesty's distress?“ asked Algarotti.

„For some days past the king has been grave and out of humor,“ replied Fredersdorf. „I am inclined to the opinion that his majesty has been angered and wounded by some dear friend.“

General Rothenberg bent over and whispered to Algarotti: „Barbarina has wounded him; for some time past she has been sullen and imperious. These haughty and powerful natures have been carrying on an invisible war with each other; they both contend for sovereignty.“

„If this is so, I predict confidently that the beautiful Barbarina will be conquered,“ said Algarotti. „Mankind will always be conquered by Frederick the king, and must submit to him. So soon as Frederick the Great recognizes the fact that the man in him is subjected by the enchanting Barbarina, like Alexander the Great, he will cut the gordian knot, and release himself from even the soft bondage of love.“

„I fear that he is strongly bound, and that the gordian knot of love can withstand even the king's sword. Frederick, ordinarily so unapproachable, so inexorable in his authority and self-control, endures with a rare patience the proud, commanding bearing of Barbarina. Even yesterday evening when the king did me the honor to sup with me in the society of the Barbarina, in spite of her peevishness and ever-changing mood, he was the most gallant and attentive of cavaliers.“

„And you think the king has not seen the signora since that time?“

„I do not know; let us ask the guard.“

The gentlemen ascertained from the guard that Barbarina had left the king's room in the morning, deadly pale, and with her eyes inflamed by weeping.

„You see that I was right,“ said Algarotti; „this love-affair has reached a crisis.“

„In which I fear the king will come to grief,“ said Rothenberg. „Believe me, his majesty loves Barbarina most tenderly.“

„Not the king! the man loves Barbarina. But listen! did you not hear a noise?“

„Yes, the low tone of a flute,“ said Fredersdorf. „Let us approach the door.“

Lightly and cautiously they stepped to the door, behind which the king had carried on this fierce battle with himself, a battle in which he had shed his heart's best blood. Again they heard the sound of the flute: it trembled on the air like the last sigh of love and happiness; sometimes it seemed like the stormy utterance of a strong soul in extremest anguish, then melted softly away in sighs and tears. Never in the king's gayest and brightest days had he played with such masterly skill as now in this hour of anguish. The pain, the love, the doubt, the longing which swelled his heart, found utterance in this mournful adagio. Greatly moved, the three friends listened breathlessly to this wondrous development of genius. The king completed the music with a note of profound suffering.

Algarotti bowed to Rothenberg. „Friend,“ said he, „that was the last song of the dying swan.“

„God grant that it was the last song of love, not the death-song of the king's heart! When a man tears love forcibly from his heart, I am sure he tears away also a piece of the heart in which it was rooted.“

„Can we not think of something to console him? Let us go in the morning to Barbarina; perhaps we may learn from her what has happened.“

„Think you we can do nothing more to-day to withdraw the king from his painful solitude?“

„I think the king is a warrior and a hero, and will be able to conquer himself.“

While the king, in solitude, strengthened only by his genius, struggled with his love, Barbarina, with all the passion of her stormy nature, endured inexpressible torture. She was not alone--her sister was with her, mingled her tears with hers, and whispered sweet words of hope.

„The king will return to you; your beauty holds him captive with invisible but magic bonds. Your grace and fascinations will live in his memory, will smile upon him, and lure him back humble and conquered to your feet.“

Barbarina shook her head sadly. „I have lost him. The eagle has burst the weak bonds with which I had bound his wings; now he is free, he will again unfold them, and rise up conquering and to conquer in the blue vaults of heaven. In the rapturous enjoyment of liberty he will forget how happy he was in captivity. No, no; I have lost him forever!“

She clasped her hands over her face, and wept bitterly. Then, as if roused to extremity by some agonizing thought, she sprang from her seat; her eyes were flashing, her cheeks crimson.

„Oh, to think that he abandoned me; that I was true to him; that a man lives who deserted Barbarina! That is a shame, a humiliation, of which I will die--yes, surely die!“

„But this man was, at least, a king,“ said her sister, in hesitating tones.

Barbarina shook her head fiercely, and her rich black hair fell about her face in wild disorder.

„What is it to me that he is a king? His sceptre is not so powerful as that of Barbarina. My realm extends over the universe, wherever men have eyes to see and hearts to feel emotion. That this man is a king does not lessen my shame, or make my degradation less bitter. Barbarina is deserted, forsaken, spurned, and yet lives. She is not crushed and ground to death by this dishonor. But, as I live, I will take vengeance, vengeance for this monstrous wrong--this murder of my heart!“

So, in the midst of wild prayers, and tears, and oaths of vengeance, the day declined; long after, Barbarina yielded to the tender entreaties of Marietta, and stretched herself upon her couch. She buried her head in the pillows, and during the weary hours of the night she wept bitterly.

With pale cheeks and weary eyes she rose on the following morning. She was still profoundly sad, but no longer hopeless. Her vanity, her rare beauty, in whose magic power she still believed, whispered golden words of comfort, of encouragement; she was now convinced that the king could not give her up. „He spurned me yesterday, to- day he will implore me to forgive him.“ She was not surprised when her servant announced Duke Algarotti and General Rothenberg.

„Look you,“ said she, turning to her sister, „you see my heart judged rightly. The king sends his two most confidential friends to conduct me to him. Oh, my God, grant that this poor heart, which has borne such agony, may not now break from excess of happiness! I shall see him again, and his beautiful, loving eyes will melt out of my heart even the remembrance of the terrible glance with which he looked upon me yesterday. Farewell, sister; farewell--I go to the king.“

„But not so; not in this negligee; not with this hair in wild disorder,“ said Marietta, holding her back.

„Yes, even as I am,“ said Barbarina. „For his sake I have torn my hair; for his sake my eyes are red; my sad, pale face speaks eloquently of my despair, and will awaken his repentance.“

Proudly, triumphantly she entered the saloon, and returned the profound salutation of the two gentlemen with a slight bow.

„You bring me a message from his majesty?“ said she, hastily.

„The king commissioned us to inquire after your health, signora,“ said Algarotti.

Barbarina smiled significantly. „He sent you to watch me closely,“ thought she; „he would ascertain if I am ready to pardon, ready to return to him. I will meet them frankly, honestly, and make their duty light.--Say to his majesty that I have passed the night in sighs and tears, that my heart is full of repentance. I grieve for my conduct.“

The gentlemen exchanged a meaning glance; they already knew what they came to learn. Barbarina had had a contest with the king, and he had separated from her in scorn. Therefore was the proud Barbarina so humble, so repentant.

Barbarina looked at them expectantly; she was convinced they would now ask, in the name of the king, to be allowed to conduct her to the castle. But they said nothing to that effect.

„Repentance must be a very poisonous worm,“ said General Rothenberg, looking steadily upon the face of Barbarina; „it has changed the blooming rose of yesterday into a fair, white blossom.“

„That is perhaps fortunate,“ said Algarotti. „It is well known that the white rose has fewer thorns than the red, and from this time onward, signora, there will be less danger of mortal wounds when approaching you.“

Barbarina trembled, and her eyes flashed angrily. „Do you mean to intimate that my strength and power are broken, and that I can never recover my realm? Do you mean that the Barbarina, whom the king so shamefully deserted, so cruelly humiliated, is a frail butterfly? That the purple hue of beauty has been brushed from my wings? that I can no longer charm and ravish the beholder because a rough hand has touched me?“

„I mean to say, signora, that it will be a happiness to the king, if the sad experience of the last few days should make you milder and gentler of mood,“ said Algarotti.

Rothenberg and himself had gone to Barbarina to find out, if possible, the whole truth. They wished to deceive her--to lead her to believe that the king had fully confided in them.

„The king was suffering severely yesterday from the wounds which the sharp thorns of the red rose had inflicted,“ said Rothenberg.

„And did he not cruelly revenge himself?“ cried Barbarina. „He left me for long hours kneeling at his door, wringing my hands, and pleading for pity and pardon, and he showed no mercy. But that is past, forgotten, forgiven. My wounds have bled and they have healed, and now health and happiness will return to my poor martyred heart. Say to my king that I am humble. I pray for happiness, not as my right, but as a royal gift which, kneeling and with uplifted hands, I will receive, oh, how gratefully! But no, no, you shall not tell this to the king--I will confess all myself to his majesty. Come, come, the king awaits us--let us hasten to him!“

„We were only commanded to inquire after the health of the signora,“ said Algarotti, coolly.

„And as you have assured us that you have passed the night in tears and repentance, this confession may perhaps ameliorate his majesty's sufferings,“ said Rothenberg.

Barbarina looked amazed from one to the other. Suddenly her cheeks became crimson, and her eyes flashed with passion. „You did not come to conduct me to the king?“ said she, breathlessly.

„No, signora, the king did not give us this commission.“

„Ah! he demands, then, that I shall come voluntarily? Well, then, I will go uncalled. Lead me to his majesty!“

„That is a request which I regret I cannot fulfil. The king has sternly commanded us to admit no one.“

„No one?“

„No one, without exception, signora,“ said Algarotti, bowing profoundly.

Barbarina pressed her lips together to restrain a cry of anguish. She pressed her hands upon the table to sustain her sinking form. „You have only come to say that the king will not receive me; that to-day, as yesterday, his doors are closed against me. Well, then, gentlemen, you have fulfilled your duty. Go and say to his majesty I shall respect his wishes--go, sirs!“

Barbarina remained proudly erect, and replied to their greeting with a derisive smile. With her hands pressed nervously on the table, she looked after the two cavaliers as they left her saloon, with wide- extended, tearless eyes. But when the door closed upon them, when sure she could not be heard by them, she uttered so wild, so piercing a cry of anguish, that Marietta rushed into the room. Barbarina had sunk, as if struck by lightning, to the floor.

„I am dishonored, betrayed, spurned,“ cried she, madly. „O God! let me not outlive this shame--send death to my relief!“

Soon, however, her cries of despair were changed to words of scorn and bitterness. She no longer wished to die--she wished to revenge herself. She rose from her knees, and paced the room hastily, raging, flashing, filled with a burning thirst for vengeance, resolved to cast a veil over her shame, and hide it, at least, from the eyes of the world.

„Marietta, O Marietta!“ cried she, breathlessly, „help me to find the means quickly, by one blow to satisfy my vengeance!--a means which will prove to the king that I am not, as be supposes, dying from grief and despair; that I am still the Barbarina--the adored, triumphant, all-conquering artiste--a means which will convince the whole world that I am not deserted, scorned, but that I myself am the inconstant one. Oh, where shall I find the means to rise triumphantly from this humiliation? where--“

„Silence, silence, sister! some one is coming. Let no one witness your agitation.“

The servant entered and announced that Baron von Swartz, director of the theatre, wished to know if the signora would appear in the ballet of the evening.

„Say to him that I will dance with pleasure,“ said Barbarina.

When once more alone, Marietta entreated her to be quiet, and not increase her agitation by appearing in public.

Barbarina interrupted her impatiently. „Do you not see that already the rumor of my disgrace has reached the theatre? Do you not see the malice of this question of Baron Swartz? They think the Barbarina is so completely broken, crushed by the displeasure of the king, that she can no longer dance. They have deceived themselves--I will dance tonight. Perhaps I shall go mad; but I will first refute the slander, and bring to naught the report of my disgrace with the king.“

And now the servant entered and announced Monsieur Cocceji.

„You cannot possibly receive him,“ whispered Marietta. „Say that you are studying your role, for the evening; say that you are occupied with your toilet. Say what you will, only decline to receive him.“

Barbarina looked thoughtful for a moment. „No,“ said she, musingly, „I will not dismiss him. Conduct Cocceji to my boudoir, and say he may expect me.“

The moment the servant left them, Barbarina seized her sister's hand. „I have prayed to God for means to revenge myself, and He has heard my prayer. You know Cocceji loves me, and has long wooed me in vain. Well, then, today he shall not plead in vain; to-day I will promise him my love, but I will make my own conditions. Come, Marietta!“

Glowing and lovely from excitement, Barbarina entered the boudoir where the young Councillor Cocceji, son of the minister, awaited her. With an enchanting smile, she advanced to meet him, and fixing her great burning eyes upon him, she said softly, „Are you not yet cured of your love for me?“

The young man stepped back a moment pale and wounded, but Barbarina stood before him in her wondrous beauty; a significant, enchanting smile was on her lip, and in her eyes lay something so sweetly encouraging, so bewildering, that he was reassured, he felt that it was not her intention to mock at his passion.

„This love is a fatal malady of which I shall never be healed,“ he said warmly; „a malady which resists all remedies.“

„What if I return your love?“ said she in soft, sweet tones.

Cocceji's countenance beamed with ecstasy; he was completely overcome by this unlooked-for happiness.

„Barbarina, if I dream, if I am a somnambulist, do not awaken me! If, in midsummer madness only, I have heard these blissful words, do not undeceive me! Let me dream on, give my mad fancy full play; or slay me if you will, but do not say that I mistake your meaning!“

„I shall not say that,“ she whispered, almost tenderly. „For a long year you have sworn that you loved me.“

„And you have had the cruelty to jest always at my passion.“

„From this day I believe in your love, but you must give me a proof of it. Will you do that?“

„I will, Barbarina!“

„Well, then, I demand no giant task, no herculean labor; there is no rival whom you must murder! I demand only that you shall make your love for me known to the whole world. Give eclat to this passion! I demand that with head erect, and clear untroubled eye, you shall give the world a proof of this love! I will not that this love you declare to me so passionately shall be hidden under a veil of mystery and silence. I demand that you have the courage to let the sun in the heavens and the eyes of men look down into your heart and read your secret, and that no quiver of the eyelids, no feeling of confusion shall shadow your countenance. I will that to-morrow all Berlin shall know and believe that the young Councillor Cocceji, the son of the minister, the favorite of the king, loves the Barbarina ardently, and that she returns his passion. Berlin must know that this is no cold, northern, German, phlegmatic LIKING, which chills the blood in the veins and freezes the heart, but a full, ardent, glowing passion, animating every fibre of our being--an Italian love, a love of sunshine, and of storm, and of tempest.“

Barbarina was wholly irresistible; her bearing was proud, her eyes sparkled, her face beamed with energy and enthusiasm. A less passionate nature than that of Cocceji would have been kindled by her ardor, would have been carried away by her energy.

The fiery young Cocceji threw himself at her feet. „Command me! my name, my life, my hand, are yours; only love me, Barbarina, and I will be proud to declare how much I love you; to say to the whole world this is my bride, and I am honored and happy that she has deigned to accept my hand!“

„Of this another time,“ said Barbarina, smiling; „first prove to the world that you love me. This evening in the theatre give some public evidence, give the Berliners something to talk about: then--then--“ said she, softly, „the rest will come in time.“