Chapter VIII. - VON MANTEUFFEL, THE DIPLOMAT.
The garden was again solitary. Nothing was heard but the chattering of birds, as they flitted from limb to limb, and the whispering of the wind among the trees; all else was tranquil and still. But this did not last long. The noise of advancing footsteps gave evidence of the approach of some one, whose figure was soon visible at the entrance of the grand avenue.
This person was again a lady, who, if not so beautiful as Mademoiselle von Schwerin, was still pretty enough to be called one of the fair sex. She was dressed in a charming and tasteful morning robe, which was eminently adapted to display to advantage the beautiful contour of her tall and stately figure.
Nor had she come into the garden merely to breathe the fresh morning air, and enjoy the delightful fragrance of flowers; these were scarcely observed, as she hurriedly swept past them. She stood still for a moment at the end of the long avenue, and looked cautiously around in all directions. Seeing that no one was near, that she was alone and unobserved, she turned aside into the bushes, and, following a narrow, overgrown path, at last arrived at the garden wall, where she remained standing before a small door for a moment, listening with suppressed breathing. Hearing nothing, she clapped her hands three times, and listened again. And now a repetition of her signal could be heard from the other side, and she cried in clear and silvery tones, „Good-morning, good-morning!“ A deep, manly voice returned her greeting from the other side of the wall.
„It is he!“ murmured the lady, and quickly drawing a key from her pocket, she opened the door.
The man who had been standing outside sprang forward through the open gate, and, bowing low to the lady, pressed her proffered hand to his lips.
„Good-morning, Count Manteuffel,“ said she, smiling. „Really you are as punctual as if coming to a rendezvous with your lady love.“
„Tempi passali!“ sighed the count. „I am married,“
„So am I,“ said the lady, laughing; „that is, however, no reason why--“
„You should not still have ardent and devoted admirers.“ said the count, interrupting her. „But you are still young and beautiful, while I have grown old. Tell me, kind lady, by what, art you have preserved the charming freshness of youth, and those bright and sparkling eyes by which I was so completely enslaved when I still had a heart?“
The lady gave him a penetrating, mocking look. „Count Manteuffel,“ said she, „you are so friendly, and your adoration is of so profound a nature, that you undoubtedly have some very particular favor to solicit at my hands. But come, let us enter that little pavilion; there we will find comfortable seats, and be secure from all interruption.“
They passed silently along the wall to the pavilion, to which the same key gave access which had before opened the garden door.
„Here we are safe,“ said the lady, throwing back the lace veil which had concealed her face. „Come, count, let us be seated; and now tell me why you desired this meeting, and why it is that your valet was not sent as usual to deliver your letters and to receive mine?“
„I had an irresistible longing to see you, to behold once more your lovely countenance,“ said the count, with a deep sigh.
„But just now you said you had no heart,“ said the lady, laughing.
„You are the enchantress who recalls it to life. Really you do credit to your name, and, thanks to Madame Brandt, my heart is again in flames.“
„Count, it is very evident that you are now playing a part to which you are not accustomed,“ exclaimed Madame Brandt, laughing. „When you attempt to act the lover you become insipid, while your are known and acknowledged to be one of the shrewdest and most ingenious of diplomatists. But no diplomatic subterfuges with me, I pray. Let us waste no time on the shell, but to the kernel at once! What do you require of me? In my last letter I gave you an accurate account of the state of affairs at court, and also of the state of my finances, which is precisely that of the prince royal's; that is, his purse is as empty as mine.“
„And both of you have an empress who is only too happy to have the privilege of supplying this deficiency,“ said Count Manteuffel, drawing forth a well-filled purse, through the silken meshes of which gold glittered, and presenting it to the lady. „I am only sorry to say there are several empresses who have the inestimable privilege of assisting the prince royal and Madame Brandt.“
„What do you mean, count? We no longer understand each other, and I beg of you not to speak in riddles, which I am not prepared to solve.“
„I mean to say that the prince royal, in his moneyed embarrassments, no longer addresses himself to the Empress of Austria, although she, as his nearest relative, as the aunt of the princess royal, has undoubtedly the first claim to his confidence.“
„But perhaps the purse of the Empress of Austria is insufficient to meet his demands,“ said Madame von Brandt.
„He should first have tested the purse of the empress, as he frequently did in former times--in times when not only the prince royal, but also his sister of Bairout, experienced the generosity of their imperial aunt. But the prince royal readily forgets the benefits which he has received.“
„That he does,“ sighed Madame von Brandt. „We poor women are the greatest sufferers. He has loved us all, and forgotten us all.“
„All?“ asked Count Manteuffel.
„All, count! We are nothing more to him than the plaything of an idle hour; he then wearies of us, and throws us aside. There is but one whom he truly loves and constantly.“
„And this lady's name?“
„The flute, count! Ah, you looked sadly crestfallen. True, this lady cannot be bribed, either with Austrian gold or with the flattery of the skilful Count Manteuffel; she is always discreet, always mysterious; she never betrays her lover. Ah, count, we might both learn something from this noble flute. Yes, believe me, I would try to be like her, if, unfortunately, I did not need so many things for which a flute has no use, and if the glitter of Austrian gold were not so alluring. But you, Count Manteuffel, why are you not like the flute? Why have you spies and eavesdroppers at all places? Why are you an Austrian spy at the court of Prussia--you who have wealth, rank, and standing which should place you above such paltry considerations?“
Count Manteuffel's brow darkened, and he compressed his lips angrily. But he quickly subdued this momentary irritation, and was once more the affable, easy, and attentive diplomat.
„I serve the Austrian court from inclination,“ said he, „from preference, and certainly with honest intentions. I serve that court, because I am deeply convinced that upon Austria devolves the privilege and duty of dethroning all other German princes, and uniting all Germany under one government, of converting Austria into Germany. Prussia must then cease to exist in Austria, and must bend the knee as a vassal. That is my political conviction, and I act in accordance with it.“
„And for this political conviction you receive Austrian gold and Austrian decorations,“ observed Madame von Brandt, laughing. „For the sake of your political conviction you have spies at all points, at the court of Potsdam, at the court of Dresden, and even here at the little court at Rheinsberg. Not satisfied with having bought over the prince royal's cook, and induced him to keep a diary for your inspection,[3] you have also succeeded in securing the services of that humble and modest little person, Madame von Brandt, who well knows that all this costs your Grace a considerable amount of money. And now you wish to make me believe that you do these things on account of your political conviction. Softly, my dear count! I, too, am a little diplomat, and have my convictions, and one of these is, that Count Manteuffel has but one passion, and that is, to play a political role, and to make as much money in that way as he possibly can. And to the good Count Manteuffel it is a matter of perfect indifference whether this money comes from Prussian or from Austrian sources.“
[3] „Youth of Frederick the Great,“ by Preuss, page 132.
„And why these amiable pleasantries?“ said the count, with a forced smile.
„They mean, my dear count, that this miserable acting should cease; that we should lay aside our masks, and deal with each other truly and sincerely, when alone, as we are at present. I serve you, because I am paid for it; you serve Austria, because you are paid for it. If, in time of need, you were not at hand with a well-filled purse, I would cease to serve you; and you would no longer be enthusiastic on the subject of Austrian dominion, if Austria's money should cease to flow into your coffers. And now, my dear count, I believe we understand each other; and, without further circumlocution, what do you require of me--what have you to communicate?“
„I must speak with you on matters of very grave importance.“
„I knew it! your flattery betrayed you,“ said Madame Brandt, „Well, begin.“
„First of all, my dear baroness, you must know that the prince royal will in a few days be king.“
„Not so, count; a courier arrived yesterday evening with the intelligence that his majesty was much better. The prince royal is so rejoiced that he has determined to give a fete in honor of Madame von Morien to-day.“
„Does the prince royal still love this lady?“
„I told you before that he loved his flute alone,“ said Madame Brandt.
„Does he not, then, love the princess royal?“
„No! And perhaps he would not love her even if she were changed into a flute. He would probably say to Quantz, 'It is not made of good wood, and has a bad tone,' and would lay it aside.“
„And do you believe he would do that with the princess? although she is no flute, do you believe he would cast her aside?“
„The princess dreads it.“
„And so does the empress!“
„But why was a woman, who not only knows nothing about music, but has a hoarse and discordant voice, and who articulates so indistinctly that the prince royal could not understand her were she to say the wittiest things imaginable, why should such a woman have been given as a wife to a prince of such remarkable musical proclivities? One does not marry a woman merely to look at her.“
„Then you believe the prince royal will separate himself from his wife as soon as he obtains his freedom, that is, when he becomes king?“ observed Count Manteuffel, thoughtfully.
„Of that I know nothing, count. The prince never speaks of his wife, even to his most intimate friends; and in his tenderest moments Madame Morien herself endeavors in vain to obtain some information on this subject.“
„The prince is very discreet and very suspicious. Madame Morien must be bought over,“ murmured the count.
„That will be a difficult task,“ said Madame Brandt. „She is unfortunately very rich, and attaches but little importance to money. I know of but one means. Procure for her a lover who is handsomer, more ardent, and more passionate than the prince royal, and she can be won! For it is well known that Madame Morien has a very susceptible heart.“
„Baroness, no jesting, if you please; the matters under discussion are of the gravest importance, and our time is limited. Madame Morion must be won over. She alone can influence the prince through his heart, and her influence must be exerted to prevent a separation of the prince royal from his wife. You, my dear baroness, must induce Madame Morien to do this; you, with your bewitching eloquence, must make Madame Morien comprehend that this is the only means of doing penance for her sinful life, and that her only chance of reconciliation with Heaven depends upon her restoration of the faithless husband to the arms of his noble wife. She could, perhaps, save the princess royal and the imperial court the disgrace of a separation. The princess must remain the wife of the king. This is the only tie which can bind the king to Austria. The prince is surrounded by the enemies of Austria, of whom Suhm is the most dangerous.“
„Well, he, at least, is not near the prince. You know that he is the ambassador of Saxony at the court of Petersburg.“
„Therein lies the main difficulty! The prince royal places unlimited confidence in him, they correspond in characters which we have vainly endeavored to decipher; and the result of this correspondence is, that Suhm has already procured the prince royal a loan of ten thousand dollars from the Duke of Courland, and that he has now secured him the annual sum of twenty-four thousand dollars from the Empress Anne. These payments will continue until the prince ascends the throne; the first has just been received.“[4]
[4] Oeuvres de Frederic le Grand, vol. xvi., pp. 340, 356, 360, 384.
„That is a fable,“ exclaimed Madame Brandt, laughing. „The prince is as poor as Job, and for some time past has been literally besieged by his creditors!“
„And it can be no other than Russia who assists him in these difficulties!“ exclaimed Count Manteuffel, in despair. „We must leave nothing undone to lessen the influence of this dangerous enemy, and to win Prussia to Austrian interests. Germany wishes for peace, and Prussia and Austria must be on good terms. If Prussia and Austria were to take up arms against each other, the balance of power in Europe would be destroyed, and a war would be inaugurated which, perhaps, for years would deluge Germany with blood and tears! Austria will do all that lies in her power to avoid this; and we, my dear friend, will be Austria's allies, and will assist her to the best of our ability. Russia has given Prussia money, it is true, but an indebtedness of this kind ceases the moment the money is returned. When the prince royal ascends the throne, he will pay to Russia what he owes her, and with that all obligations will be at an end. Then another tie must be found to bind Austria more firmly to Prussia. And you must help to weave this tie. The prince royal must never be separated from his wife! The future queen of Prussia will then be the niece of the empress. The duties of a nephew will consequently devolve on the king. To unite the two houses more closely, another marriage must be brought about. The Prince Augustus William, the presumptive heir of the prince royal, must, like the latter, espouse a princess of the house of Brunswick--a sister of the princess royal.“
„That is impossible!“ exclaimed Madame Brandt, with vivacity.
„Impossible? Why impossible?“
„Because the heart of the Prince Augustus William is already filled with a deep and passionate love--a love which would even touch you, that is, if you are susceptible to pity.“
„My dear madame, we are speaking of affairs of State, and you discourse of love! What have politics to do with love? The prince may love whom he will, provided he marries the Princess of Brunswick.“
„But his is a great and noble, a real love, count--a love over which we have no power, in which the devil had no hand; a love as pure as Heaven, and deserving of Heaven's blessing! You must give this plan up, count; the Prince Augustus William will never marry the Princess of Brunswick. He is far too noble to give his hand without his heart, and that is devoted to the beautiful Laura von Pannewitz.“
„A prince of the blood who loves a little maid of honor, and wishes to marry her?“ exclaimed von Manteuffel, laughing loudly. „How romantic! how sublime! what excellent materials for a sentimental romance! My dear baroness, I congratulate you! This discovery does all honor to your poetical temperament.“
??Mock me, if you will, count; but I repeat, nevertheless, Prince Augustus William will not marry the Princess of Brunswick, for he loves the beautiful maid of honor of the queen, and is determined to make her his wife.“
„We will know how to break this determination,“ said Count Manteuffel. „The prince royal will assist us, depend upon it. He is not an enthusiastic lover, like Augustus William, and will never consent to his brother's making a misalliance.“
„And I tell you, the prince would rather die than give up the beautiful Laura.“
„Well, then she must give him up,“ said Count Manteuffel, with cruel composure.
„Poor Laura,“ said Madame Brandt, with a sigh, „she loves him so dearly! it will break her heart to lose him.“
„Pshaw! the heart of every woman is broken one or more times, but it always heals again, and when warmed by a new love, the old scars disappear entirely. You, dear baroness, have experienced this in yourself. Have you no recollection of the days of our ardent and passionate love? Did we not expect to die when we were separated? Did we not wring our hands, and pray for death as a relief? And are we not still living, to smile pityingly at the pangs we then endured, and to remember how often we have experienced delight, how often love has since triumphed in our hearts?“
„It is true,“ sighed Madame Brandt, „we outlive our sorrows; the heart of women resembles the worm--it still lives and quivers, although cut in pieces.“
„Well,“ said Count Manteuffel, laughing, „the heart of Laura von Pannewitz is merely a worm, and we will not hesitate to cut it in pieces, as it will still live merrily on. You, my dear friend, shall be the knife which performs the operation. Are you willing?“
For a moment Madame Brandt looked down sadly, and seemed lost in thought.
„True,“ she murmured, „we outlive it, but the best part of our being is destroyed! I should never have become what I am, if I had not been ruthlessly torn from my first dream of love. We will not kill Laura von Pannewitz's body, but her soul will suffer!“
„And as it is not our province to look after souls, that need give us no care; a political necessity demands that Prince Augustus William shall marry the Princess of Brunswick. It demands, moreover, that the prince royal shall not be divorced from his wife, but that the niece of the empress shall be Queen of Prussia. In both of these affairs we need your assistance. You must closely watch the Prince Augustus William and his lady love, and, at the proper time, bring the affair to light. By your eloquence you must convince Madame Morien that it is her duty to exert her influence with the prince royal to prevent his separation from his wife. This is your task, and a noble task it is. Its objects are--to protect the peace of married life; to recall two noble hearts to the duties which they owe to the world; and lastly, to create a new bond of union between two mighty German powers. The wife of the Emperor Charles VI., the noble empress, will not be ungrateful to her ally, Madame Brandt. On the day on which Prince William espouses the Princess Louisa Amelia of Brunswick, Madame Brandt will receive a present of twenty thousand dollars from the empress.“
The countenance of Madame Brandt was radiant with pleasure and delight.
„The prince shall and will marry the Princess Louisa Amelia--my word for it. I am then to be the demon who, with his poisonous breath, destroys this romantic, this beautiful love; the evil genius who drives fair Laura to despair. But why should I pity her? She suffers the fate of all women--my fate. Who pitied, who saved me? No one listened to my cry of anguish, and no one shall heed the wailing cry of the fair Laura von Pannewitz. Count, she is condemned! But, hark! Do you not hear faint tones of distant music? The prince royal has arisen, and is playing the flute at his open window. We must now separate; the garden will soon be full of people, and we are no longer safe from intrusion. A boat-ride on the lake is in contemplation for the early morning hours, and then Chazot will read Voltaire's last drama to the assembled court.“
This person was again a lady, who, if not so beautiful as Mademoiselle von Schwerin, was still pretty enough to be called one of the fair sex. She was dressed in a charming and tasteful morning robe, which was eminently adapted to display to advantage the beautiful contour of her tall and stately figure.
Nor had she come into the garden merely to breathe the fresh morning air, and enjoy the delightful fragrance of flowers; these were scarcely observed, as she hurriedly swept past them. She stood still for a moment at the end of the long avenue, and looked cautiously around in all directions. Seeing that no one was near, that she was alone and unobserved, she turned aside into the bushes, and, following a narrow, overgrown path, at last arrived at the garden wall, where she remained standing before a small door for a moment, listening with suppressed breathing. Hearing nothing, she clapped her hands three times, and listened again. And now a repetition of her signal could be heard from the other side, and she cried in clear and silvery tones, „Good-morning, good-morning!“ A deep, manly voice returned her greeting from the other side of the wall.
„It is he!“ murmured the lady, and quickly drawing a key from her pocket, she opened the door.
The man who had been standing outside sprang forward through the open gate, and, bowing low to the lady, pressed her proffered hand to his lips.
„Good-morning, Count Manteuffel,“ said she, smiling. „Really you are as punctual as if coming to a rendezvous with your lady love.“
„Tempi passali!“ sighed the count. „I am married,“
„So am I,“ said the lady, laughing; „that is, however, no reason why--“
„You should not still have ardent and devoted admirers.“ said the count, interrupting her. „But you are still young and beautiful, while I have grown old. Tell me, kind lady, by what, art you have preserved the charming freshness of youth, and those bright and sparkling eyes by which I was so completely enslaved when I still had a heart?“
The lady gave him a penetrating, mocking look. „Count Manteuffel,“ said she, „you are so friendly, and your adoration is of so profound a nature, that you undoubtedly have some very particular favor to solicit at my hands. But come, let us enter that little pavilion; there we will find comfortable seats, and be secure from all interruption.“
They passed silently along the wall to the pavilion, to which the same key gave access which had before opened the garden door.
„Here we are safe,“ said the lady, throwing back the lace veil which had concealed her face. „Come, count, let us be seated; and now tell me why you desired this meeting, and why it is that your valet was not sent as usual to deliver your letters and to receive mine?“
„I had an irresistible longing to see you, to behold once more your lovely countenance,“ said the count, with a deep sigh.
„But just now you said you had no heart,“ said the lady, laughing.
„You are the enchantress who recalls it to life. Really you do credit to your name, and, thanks to Madame Brandt, my heart is again in flames.“
„Count, it is very evident that you are now playing a part to which you are not accustomed,“ exclaimed Madame Brandt, laughing. „When you attempt to act the lover you become insipid, while your are known and acknowledged to be one of the shrewdest and most ingenious of diplomatists. But no diplomatic subterfuges with me, I pray. Let us waste no time on the shell, but to the kernel at once! What do you require of me? In my last letter I gave you an accurate account of the state of affairs at court, and also of the state of my finances, which is precisely that of the prince royal's; that is, his purse is as empty as mine.“
„And both of you have an empress who is only too happy to have the privilege of supplying this deficiency,“ said Count Manteuffel, drawing forth a well-filled purse, through the silken meshes of which gold glittered, and presenting it to the lady. „I am only sorry to say there are several empresses who have the inestimable privilege of assisting the prince royal and Madame Brandt.“
„What do you mean, count? We no longer understand each other, and I beg of you not to speak in riddles, which I am not prepared to solve.“
„I mean to say that the prince royal, in his moneyed embarrassments, no longer addresses himself to the Empress of Austria, although she, as his nearest relative, as the aunt of the princess royal, has undoubtedly the first claim to his confidence.“
„But perhaps the purse of the Empress of Austria is insufficient to meet his demands,“ said Madame von Brandt.
„He should first have tested the purse of the empress, as he frequently did in former times--in times when not only the prince royal, but also his sister of Bairout, experienced the generosity of their imperial aunt. But the prince royal readily forgets the benefits which he has received.“
„That he does,“ sighed Madame von Brandt. „We poor women are the greatest sufferers. He has loved us all, and forgotten us all.“
„All?“ asked Count Manteuffel.
„All, count! We are nothing more to him than the plaything of an idle hour; he then wearies of us, and throws us aside. There is but one whom he truly loves and constantly.“
„And this lady's name?“
„The flute, count! Ah, you looked sadly crestfallen. True, this lady cannot be bribed, either with Austrian gold or with the flattery of the skilful Count Manteuffel; she is always discreet, always mysterious; she never betrays her lover. Ah, count, we might both learn something from this noble flute. Yes, believe me, I would try to be like her, if, unfortunately, I did not need so many things for which a flute has no use, and if the glitter of Austrian gold were not so alluring. But you, Count Manteuffel, why are you not like the flute? Why have you spies and eavesdroppers at all places? Why are you an Austrian spy at the court of Prussia--you who have wealth, rank, and standing which should place you above such paltry considerations?“
Count Manteuffel's brow darkened, and he compressed his lips angrily. But he quickly subdued this momentary irritation, and was once more the affable, easy, and attentive diplomat.
„I serve the Austrian court from inclination,“ said he, „from preference, and certainly with honest intentions. I serve that court, because I am deeply convinced that upon Austria devolves the privilege and duty of dethroning all other German princes, and uniting all Germany under one government, of converting Austria into Germany. Prussia must then cease to exist in Austria, and must bend the knee as a vassal. That is my political conviction, and I act in accordance with it.“
„And for this political conviction you receive Austrian gold and Austrian decorations,“ observed Madame von Brandt, laughing. „For the sake of your political conviction you have spies at all points, at the court of Potsdam, at the court of Dresden, and even here at the little court at Rheinsberg. Not satisfied with having bought over the prince royal's cook, and induced him to keep a diary for your inspection,[3] you have also succeeded in securing the services of that humble and modest little person, Madame von Brandt, who well knows that all this costs your Grace a considerable amount of money. And now you wish to make me believe that you do these things on account of your political conviction. Softly, my dear count! I, too, am a little diplomat, and have my convictions, and one of these is, that Count Manteuffel has but one passion, and that is, to play a political role, and to make as much money in that way as he possibly can. And to the good Count Manteuffel it is a matter of perfect indifference whether this money comes from Prussian or from Austrian sources.“
[3] „Youth of Frederick the Great,“ by Preuss, page 132.
„And why these amiable pleasantries?“ said the count, with a forced smile.
„They mean, my dear count, that this miserable acting should cease; that we should lay aside our masks, and deal with each other truly and sincerely, when alone, as we are at present. I serve you, because I am paid for it; you serve Austria, because you are paid for it. If, in time of need, you were not at hand with a well-filled purse, I would cease to serve you; and you would no longer be enthusiastic on the subject of Austrian dominion, if Austria's money should cease to flow into your coffers. And now, my dear count, I believe we understand each other; and, without further circumlocution, what do you require of me--what have you to communicate?“
„I must speak with you on matters of very grave importance.“
„I knew it! your flattery betrayed you,“ said Madame Brandt, „Well, begin.“
„First of all, my dear baroness, you must know that the prince royal will in a few days be king.“
„Not so, count; a courier arrived yesterday evening with the intelligence that his majesty was much better. The prince royal is so rejoiced that he has determined to give a fete in honor of Madame von Morien to-day.“
„Does the prince royal still love this lady?“
„I told you before that he loved his flute alone,“ said Madame Brandt.
„Does he not, then, love the princess royal?“
„No! And perhaps he would not love her even if she were changed into a flute. He would probably say to Quantz, 'It is not made of good wood, and has a bad tone,' and would lay it aside.“
„And do you believe he would do that with the princess? although she is no flute, do you believe he would cast her aside?“
„The princess dreads it.“
„And so does the empress!“
„But why was a woman, who not only knows nothing about music, but has a hoarse and discordant voice, and who articulates so indistinctly that the prince royal could not understand her were she to say the wittiest things imaginable, why should such a woman have been given as a wife to a prince of such remarkable musical proclivities? One does not marry a woman merely to look at her.“
„Then you believe the prince royal will separate himself from his wife as soon as he obtains his freedom, that is, when he becomes king?“ observed Count Manteuffel, thoughtfully.
„Of that I know nothing, count. The prince never speaks of his wife, even to his most intimate friends; and in his tenderest moments Madame Morien herself endeavors in vain to obtain some information on this subject.“
„The prince is very discreet and very suspicious. Madame Morien must be bought over,“ murmured the count.
„That will be a difficult task,“ said Madame Brandt. „She is unfortunately very rich, and attaches but little importance to money. I know of but one means. Procure for her a lover who is handsomer, more ardent, and more passionate than the prince royal, and she can be won! For it is well known that Madame Morien has a very susceptible heart.“
„Baroness, no jesting, if you please; the matters under discussion are of the gravest importance, and our time is limited. Madame Morion must be won over. She alone can influence the prince through his heart, and her influence must be exerted to prevent a separation of the prince royal from his wife. You, my dear baroness, must induce Madame Morien to do this; you, with your bewitching eloquence, must make Madame Morien comprehend that this is the only means of doing penance for her sinful life, and that her only chance of reconciliation with Heaven depends upon her restoration of the faithless husband to the arms of his noble wife. She could, perhaps, save the princess royal and the imperial court the disgrace of a separation. The princess must remain the wife of the king. This is the only tie which can bind the king to Austria. The prince is surrounded by the enemies of Austria, of whom Suhm is the most dangerous.“
„Well, he, at least, is not near the prince. You know that he is the ambassador of Saxony at the court of Petersburg.“
„Therein lies the main difficulty! The prince royal places unlimited confidence in him, they correspond in characters which we have vainly endeavored to decipher; and the result of this correspondence is, that Suhm has already procured the prince royal a loan of ten thousand dollars from the Duke of Courland, and that he has now secured him the annual sum of twenty-four thousand dollars from the Empress Anne. These payments will continue until the prince ascends the throne; the first has just been received.“[4]
[4] Oeuvres de Frederic le Grand, vol. xvi., pp. 340, 356, 360, 384.
„That is a fable,“ exclaimed Madame Brandt, laughing. „The prince is as poor as Job, and for some time past has been literally besieged by his creditors!“
„And it can be no other than Russia who assists him in these difficulties!“ exclaimed Count Manteuffel, in despair. „We must leave nothing undone to lessen the influence of this dangerous enemy, and to win Prussia to Austrian interests. Germany wishes for peace, and Prussia and Austria must be on good terms. If Prussia and Austria were to take up arms against each other, the balance of power in Europe would be destroyed, and a war would be inaugurated which, perhaps, for years would deluge Germany with blood and tears! Austria will do all that lies in her power to avoid this; and we, my dear friend, will be Austria's allies, and will assist her to the best of our ability. Russia has given Prussia money, it is true, but an indebtedness of this kind ceases the moment the money is returned. When the prince royal ascends the throne, he will pay to Russia what he owes her, and with that all obligations will be at an end. Then another tie must be found to bind Austria more firmly to Prussia. And you must help to weave this tie. The prince royal must never be separated from his wife! The future queen of Prussia will then be the niece of the empress. The duties of a nephew will consequently devolve on the king. To unite the two houses more closely, another marriage must be brought about. The Prince Augustus William, the presumptive heir of the prince royal, must, like the latter, espouse a princess of the house of Brunswick--a sister of the princess royal.“
„That is impossible!“ exclaimed Madame Brandt, with vivacity.
„Impossible? Why impossible?“
„Because the heart of the Prince Augustus William is already filled with a deep and passionate love--a love which would even touch you, that is, if you are susceptible to pity.“
„My dear madame, we are speaking of affairs of State, and you discourse of love! What have politics to do with love? The prince may love whom he will, provided he marries the Princess of Brunswick.“
„But his is a great and noble, a real love, count--a love over which we have no power, in which the devil had no hand; a love as pure as Heaven, and deserving of Heaven's blessing! You must give this plan up, count; the Prince Augustus William will never marry the Princess of Brunswick. He is far too noble to give his hand without his heart, and that is devoted to the beautiful Laura von Pannewitz.“
„A prince of the blood who loves a little maid of honor, and wishes to marry her?“ exclaimed von Manteuffel, laughing loudly. „How romantic! how sublime! what excellent materials for a sentimental romance! My dear baroness, I congratulate you! This discovery does all honor to your poetical temperament.“
??Mock me, if you will, count; but I repeat, nevertheless, Prince Augustus William will not marry the Princess of Brunswick, for he loves the beautiful maid of honor of the queen, and is determined to make her his wife.“
„We will know how to break this determination,“ said Count Manteuffel. „The prince royal will assist us, depend upon it. He is not an enthusiastic lover, like Augustus William, and will never consent to his brother's making a misalliance.“
„And I tell you, the prince would rather die than give up the beautiful Laura.“
„Well, then she must give him up,“ said Count Manteuffel, with cruel composure.
„Poor Laura,“ said Madame Brandt, with a sigh, „she loves him so dearly! it will break her heart to lose him.“
„Pshaw! the heart of every woman is broken one or more times, but it always heals again, and when warmed by a new love, the old scars disappear entirely. You, dear baroness, have experienced this in yourself. Have you no recollection of the days of our ardent and passionate love? Did we not expect to die when we were separated? Did we not wring our hands, and pray for death as a relief? And are we not still living, to smile pityingly at the pangs we then endured, and to remember how often we have experienced delight, how often love has since triumphed in our hearts?“
„It is true,“ sighed Madame Brandt, „we outlive our sorrows; the heart of women resembles the worm--it still lives and quivers, although cut in pieces.“
„Well,“ said Count Manteuffel, laughing, „the heart of Laura von Pannewitz is merely a worm, and we will not hesitate to cut it in pieces, as it will still live merrily on. You, my dear friend, shall be the knife which performs the operation. Are you willing?“
For a moment Madame Brandt looked down sadly, and seemed lost in thought.
„True,“ she murmured, „we outlive it, but the best part of our being is destroyed! I should never have become what I am, if I had not been ruthlessly torn from my first dream of love. We will not kill Laura von Pannewitz's body, but her soul will suffer!“
„And as it is not our province to look after souls, that need give us no care; a political necessity demands that Prince Augustus William shall marry the Princess of Brunswick. It demands, moreover, that the prince royal shall not be divorced from his wife, but that the niece of the empress shall be Queen of Prussia. In both of these affairs we need your assistance. You must closely watch the Prince Augustus William and his lady love, and, at the proper time, bring the affair to light. By your eloquence you must convince Madame Morien that it is her duty to exert her influence with the prince royal to prevent his separation from his wife. This is your task, and a noble task it is. Its objects are--to protect the peace of married life; to recall two noble hearts to the duties which they owe to the world; and lastly, to create a new bond of union between two mighty German powers. The wife of the Emperor Charles VI., the noble empress, will not be ungrateful to her ally, Madame Brandt. On the day on which Prince William espouses the Princess Louisa Amelia of Brunswick, Madame Brandt will receive a present of twenty thousand dollars from the empress.“
The countenance of Madame Brandt was radiant with pleasure and delight.
„The prince shall and will marry the Princess Louisa Amelia--my word for it. I am then to be the demon who, with his poisonous breath, destroys this romantic, this beautiful love; the evil genius who drives fair Laura to despair. But why should I pity her? She suffers the fate of all women--my fate. Who pitied, who saved me? No one listened to my cry of anguish, and no one shall heed the wailing cry of the fair Laura von Pannewitz. Count, she is condemned! But, hark! Do you not hear faint tones of distant music? The prince royal has arisen, and is playing the flute at his open window. We must now separate; the garden will soon be full of people, and we are no longer safe from intrusion. A boat-ride on the lake is in contemplation for the early morning hours, and then Chazot will read Voltaire's last drama to the assembled court.“
Dieses Kapitel ist Teil des Buches FREDERICK THE GREAT AND HIS COURT. Book I.