Napoleon and the Queen of Prussia

by L. Mühlbach

  CHAPTER XLIII.

  THE CHASE AND THE ASSASSINS.

  The two emperors made their entry into the decorated city of Weimaramidst pealing bells, and the cheers of the people. The Duchess ofWeimar, just as she had done two years before, received the Frenchconqueror at the head of the palace staircase; this time, however, shewas not alone, but her husband, whom the emperor had formerly hated andreviled so bitterly, stood at her side. Napoleon greeted the ducalcouple with his most winning smile.

  The events of those terrible days of the past had been well-nighforgotten. A short time had sufficed to veil their memory, and Napoleonwas a welcome and highly-honored guest two years after the battle ofJena. No vestige of the former distress remained; but the laurels of thevictor had not withered.

  A vast number of carriages, horsemen, and pedestrians, filled thestreets. The whole country had sent its representatives to greet theemperors. All the houses were ornamented with flags, festoons, busts,and laudatory inscriptions. But no one cared to stay at home. Theinhabitants and strangers hastened to the forest of Ettersburg, towitness the great chase which the Duke of Weimar had arranged in honorof the imperial guests.--Several hundred deer had been driven up andfenced in, close to the large clearing which was to be the scene of thisday's festivities. In the middle rose a huge hunting-pavilion, the roofof which rested on pillars twined with flowers. Here the two emperorswere to witness the chase, and the two wings of the structure wereassigned to the kings, dukes, and princes. All eyes and thoughts,therefore, were turned in that direction; and yet no one noticedparticularly two youthful forms, wrapped in cloaks and leaning againstan oak near the gamekeepers. The merry clamor and the bugle-calls of thehunters drowned the conversation of these young men. No one wassurprised at seeing rifles in their hands; they might be hunters orgamekeepers--who could tell?

  "I believe," said one of them, in a whisper, "we shall accomplishnothing. My rifle does not carry far enough to hit him, and we are notallowed to approach nearer."

  "It is impossible to take a sure aim from here," replied the other. "Myeye does not reach so far; I could fire only at random into thepavilion."

  "The order says, however, to strike him alone, and not to endanger otherlives," said the first speaker. "The president said, if we kill him, itwould be an act of justice; but if we are so unfortunate as to killanother, it would be murder."

  "Oh, what sophistries to lull the warning voice of conscience!" murmuredthe second speaker; "I--"

  Loud cheers interrupted him; the notes of bugles and the roll of drumsmingled with the general uproar. The people seemed wild with excitement,and the deer in the enclosure huddled together in terror. The twoemperors with their suites had just arrived.

  "Look at him, brother," whispered the young man to his companion; "lookat the weird contrast of his gloomy countenance with the merry facesaround him. He stands like some incarnate spirit of evil in the midst oflaughing fools."

  "Yes, but he is himself merry, brother Alfred, or seems to be," said hiscompanion.

  "The groans of poor Germania are not heard in the flatteries of herprinces, who are fawning around him, and guarding him so well that thehand of a true German cannot reach him."

  "But the sword is hanging over him, brother Conrad," said Alfred, "andif it do not fall on him to-day, it will to-morrow. Let us wait andwatch for an opportunity."

  "Yes, Alfred, let us wait. We know not what favorable chance may aidus."

  The chase commenced; amidst deafening shouts the game were driven fromthe enclosure. Whenever a deer passed near the pavilion, the twoemperors fired, and when the noble animal fell at perhaps ten yards'distance, the spectators cheered, the bugles sounded, and the twoimperial sportsmen congratulated each other on their skill.

  "It is in vain to stand here any longer," said Conrad, impatiently. "Weshall be unable to reach him, and it is repugnant to my feelings towitness this butchery."

  "Let us go, brother," whispered Alfred. "We must try to find anotheropportunity. Let us reflect. Do you know the programme of the day'sfestivities?"

  "I do. After the chase there will be a gala-dinner, and the sovereignswill then ride to the theatre, where the 'Death of Caesar' will beperformed. After the representation of the tragedy, there will be agrand supper and ball at the palace."

  "The 'Death of Caesar?'" asked Conrad, musingly. "Does fate intend givingus a hint thereby? Does it show us where to find him and to strike theblow? Let us be the actors in a similar play, and perform our part atthe entrance of the theatre! Are you ready, brother?"

  "I am ready," replied Alfred, sighing. "We have sworn to do every thingthe league orders us to do--we must obey."

  "Yes," said Conrad, sighing, "obey or die. Let us take our daggersto-night, and use them well. Let us place ourselves in front of thetheatre, you on the right, and myself on the left. We must strike at thesame time, when he alights from his carriage. While all are gazing athim, let us stealthily slip through the crowd. When you hear me shout'One,' you will shout 'Two!' We will then simultaneously rush forward."

  "At what time do we meet?"

  "At seven o'clock, and if we escape death and arrest, we shall meetagain at the tavern outside the gate. Farewell, brother Alfred!"

  "Farewell, brother Conrad!"

  On the same evening, a thousand lights illuminated Weimar. That part ofthe city between the palace and the theatre, where the emperors wouldpass, was especially brilliant. When after the chase they had withdrawnto rest a little, and the high dignitaries of the court were waiting inthe large reception-halls, Grand-Marshal Duroc approached General vonMueffling, who had left the Russian service; he was now vice-president inWeimar, and had been charged by the duke with the supervision of thecourt festivities.

  "Tell me, sir," said Duroc, in a low voice, "I suppose you have a goodpolice here?"

  "Of course, we have," replied Mueffling, smiling, "that is to say, wehave a police to attend to sweeping the chimneys and cleaning thestreets, but as to a _haute police_, we still live in a state of perfectinnocence."

  "The emperor, then, is to go to the theatre, and your police have takenno precautions for his safety?" asked Duroc, anxiously.

  "I believe it is so, M. Grand Marshal. If you wish to make anyarrangements, pray do so, and I shall approve them."

  "Thank you," said Duroc, bowing. "I have secretly sent for a brigade ofFrench gendarmes. Will you permit them to guard the doors of thetheatre, and keep the populace from the streets along which the emperorswill ride?"

  "Do as you please, M. Grand Marshal," said General von Mueffling, with aslightly sarcastic smile. "A detachment of the imperial guard will bedrawn up in front of the theatre, and hence I deemed any furtherprecautions entirely superfluous."

  "The grenadiers are posted there only as a guard of honor," said Duroc;"I hasten to send the gendarmes thither."

  Fifteen minutes afterward the whole route from the palace to the theatrewas guarded by gendarmes, who pushed back all who tried to cross thenarrow sidewalks, or to step into the street along which the carriageswere rolling. A double line of grenadiers was drawn up in front of thetheatre. An officer walked up and down, gazing anxiously along thestreet, in order to command the drummers to beat according to the rankof the sovereigns arriving. For the emperors they were to roll thrice,for the kings twice, and but once for the sovereign dukes and princes.The drummers had just rolled three times, for the Emperor Alexander hadarrived. Another magnificent carriage approached; the coachman on thebox was covered with gold lace, and two runners, entirely clad in goldbrocade, accompanied. Two rolls had already been beaten, a third wasabout to commence, when the commanding officer waved his hand angrily,and shouted, "Silence! It is only a king!" The stout form of the King ofWuertemberg appeared, and hastened into the theatre. Another carriageapproached. The drummers beat louder than before. Once, twice! And thena third roll. The grenadiers presented arms, and the people rushedforward. It was the Emperor Napoleon.

  At this moment a young man elbowed h
imself through the crowd. He wasalready close to the emperor. Only a single gendarme was in front ofhim.

  "One!" he shouted in a ringing voice, pushing aside the gendarme. "One!"he repeated. No voice replied.

  "Stand back!" cried the guard.

  The emperor walked past. He had heard the shout. At the door he turnedhis stern face, while his eyes flashed for a moment searchingly over thecrowd. He then slowly walked on. No accident disturbed therepresentation, and the daggers that had been lurking outside for themodern Caesar had failed to strike him.

  On the same evening the two conspirators met at the place agreed on.With disappointed faces they seemed to read each other's secretthoughts.

  "Why did you not reply to me, brother?" asked Conrad. "Why were yousilent when I gave the signal?"

  "I was unable to get through the crowd," said Alfred. "The gendarmesrefused to let me pass, and it appeared to me they were eying mesuspiciously. It was impossible to penetrate to the spot indicated. Iheard you call, but could not reply; I was too far from you."

  "The work, then, must be done to-morrow," said Conrad, gravely andsadly.

  "Remember, brother, that the order of the president was to strike theblow within a week. To-morrow is the last day!"

  "Yes, to-morrow we must desecrate the sacred cause of the fatherland byan assassination," said Alfred, sighing. "But we have sworn not toshrink from death if the league requires it, and must obey!"

  "We must obey or die," murmured Conrad. "Do you know the programme ofto-morrow?"

  "I do, brother. Napoleon wishes to show the battle-field of Jena to theEmperor Alexander, and to the kings and princes; and the Duke of Weimar,who participated in the battle at the head of a Prussian division, hasarranged, in harmless self-irony, a hare-hunt. That will be a highlydignified celebration of the anniversary of that battle."

  "Oh, Germania! how thou must suffer!" groaned Conrad. "It is time for usto place a bloody offering on thy altar! It must be done to-morrow. Theroad to Jena crosses the small forest of the Webicht. Let us placeourselves there close to the road, armed with our muskets. One of theirballs will surely hit him. We must both shoot at the same time."

  "To-morrow, then, in the forest of the Webicht!"

  On the following day the imperial and royal visitors repaired to Jena,in order to hunt hares on the battle-field of Napoleon's famous victory.On the Landgrafenberg, where Napoleon two years ago had spent the nightbefore the battle at a bivouac-fire, a magnificent tent had beenerected, and the Duke of Weimar begged leave to call it henceforth"Napoleonsberg." Napoleon granted the request, smilingly, and then askedthe company to take a walk with him across the battle-field, that hemight explain to them the various operations of the great struggle. Thisrequest of course was received with general joy, and the party descendedinto the valley. Napoleon led the way; on his right Alexander, on hisleft Prince William of Prussia, whom he had taken care to have by hisside. All listened in breathless silence to his words, which weregrowing more and more enthusiastic. He disclosed to his audience his ownplans and motives, as well as the disastrous dispositions of hisenemies. Alexander listened to him musingly; the German kings andprinces, in breathless suspense. The French marshals, however, lookeddiscontented while their sovereign was speaking. Once, when the emperorwas just expatiating in glowing words on the correct mode of warfare,his eyes happened to meet the countenance of Berthier, Prince ofNeufchatel, and noticed the dissatisfied expression of his features.

  When Napoleon repaired to his tent, he ordered Marshal Berthier tofollow him. "Berthier, why did you look so angry?"

  "Sire," faltered Berthier, in confusion, "I do not know that I did."

  "But I know it. Why were you dissatisfied? Speak! I command you!"

  "Well, if your majesty insists, I will speak," exclaimed Berthier. "Yourmajesty apparently forgot what you have repeated to us so often: that weought always to treat our allies as though they afterward might becomeour enemies. Is your majesty not afraid lest the sovereigns shouldprofit hereafter by the excellent lessons given them to-day?"

  The emperor smiled. "Berthier," he said, kindly, "that is truly a boldrebuke, and hence I like it. I believe you take me for a babbler. Youthink, then, Prince of Neufchatel," he added, bending over Berthier andpulling his ear, "that I have put whips into the hands of the Germanprinces which they might use against us! Be not alarmed; I do not tellthem every thing." And Napoleon opened the door of the tent with alaugh, and gave the signal for the hunt to begin.

  Not a human voice was to be heard in the forest of Webicht, which wasgenerally much frequented. It was but a bird's song that broke the deepsilence. Suddenly there was a rustling noise in the autumnal leavescovering the ground, and quick footsteps approached the road crossingthe middle of the forest.

  Two young men, wrapped in cloaks, glided through the woods, andstationed themselves behind a couple of large beeches. They lookedsearchingly along the road; opened their cloaks, and raised theirweapons to examine them, that they might make sure work.

  "All right," said Conrad.

  "All right," echoed Alfred.

  "When I call out 'One,' we must both fire!"

  "Yes, but we have been ordered to kill none but him," said Alfred,hesitatingly. "What if he does not ride alone? If one of the ballsshould strike an innocent man?"

  "If one of his marshals or adjutants sits beside him he would not be aninnocent man, for he has assisted in making our country unhappy! LetGerman soil drink his blood! He must not prevent us from carrying outour purpose. We cannot shrink from it, because we have sworn obedienceto the league, and this is the last day. We must do or die!"

  "Hush! let us listen and watch for him, brother Conrad." Soon the rollof wheels was heard. The two conspirators raised their muskets as thecarriage approached. It could be seen that it contained two persons.

  "It is he," whispered Alfred. "But who is seated by his side?"

  "One of his adjutants," said Conrad; "no matter! Let us aim, brother."The large trunks of the beeches concealed the forms of the conspirators.

  "When I command, we fire!" whispered Conrad.

  So close were they now that the persons seated in the coach could berecognized. The man sitting on the right was Napoleon. But who was theyoung man with the fine but downcast face?

  "Stop," whispered Alfred. "Do not shoot, brother! He is no Frenchman! Heis a German prince, the brother of the King of Prussia! We cannot fire!"

  "No, we must not fire at the brother of the unfortunate King ofPrussia!" murmured Conrad, lowering his arm. As the carriage passed by,the conspirators could distinctly hear the words of Napoleon and hiscompanion. "A fine, fragrant forest," said the former, in his sonorousvoice, "just the thing for German poets and dreamers. For I suppose,prince, the Germans like to dream?"

  "Sire," said Prince William, mournfully, "I believe your majesty has atlast disturbed them in their visionary musings."

  Napoleon burst into laughter, which resounded through the forest, andstartled the pale men standing behind the trees, and gazing gloomilyafter him. He chatted gayly beside Prince William, without suspectingthat he, the brother of the King of Prussia, whom Napoleon had humbledso often and so grievously, had just saved his life.

  "We have failed again," said Alfred, when the noise of the wheels wasdying away in the distance. "The last day is nearly gone. What shall wereply to the brethren when they ask us how we have carried out the orderwhich our country sent us? What shall we reply when they call us toaccount?"

  "We shall tell them that Heaven refused to allow the sacred cause ofGermany to be desecrated by murder!" exclaimed Conrad, gravely; "that,faithful to our obligation, although with reluctant hearts, we tried toaccomplish our mission, but that we were restrained and our strength wasparalyzed. You will tell them so, brother--you alone. Tell them that Iwas not forgetful of the oath I took on the day I joined the league.Having been unable to obey, I die! Farewell, brother!" A shot reechoedin the silent forest.

  Not long after, a man, with li
vid cheeks and wild eyes, might have beenseen hastening across the distant heath on the other side of the woods.As he ran he whispered, "Unhappy Germany!" These were the last words ofhis companion Conrad, who lay dead on the fallen leaves.

  Two days after their return from Weimar, on the 10th of October, theemperors signed the treaty about which they had agreed, and in whichRomanzoff had been obliged to acquiesce. France consented in this treatythat Russia should take possession of Moldavia and Wallachia. Russiaalso agreed to whatever changes Napoleon had made, and would hereaftermake, in regard to the government of Spain, and engaged to assist him ina war against Austria.

  On the 14th of October they left Erfurt, and returned to their states.The object of their meeting had been attained; both had derived benefitfrom it. Alexander had gained Moldavia and Wallachia; Napoleon, apowerful friend and ally. Europe received tremblingly the news of thisalliance of the West and the East. What hopes remained to Germany!--tothat dismembered country, over whose battle-fields Russia and France hadjoined hands and concerted measures against the most powerful of itsstates--Austria!

  BOOK VI.