Part 45 (1/2)
Scarcely an hour had elapsed when the footman awakened the count, informing him that the two amba.s.sadors had just arrived at the same time, and were waiting for him in the small reception-room.
The minister hastily rose from his couch, and without devoting a single glance to his toilet and to his somewhat dishevelled wig, he crossed his study and entered the reception-room, where Lord Grenville and Count Panin were waiting for him.
”Gentlemen,” said the count after a hurried bow, ”be kind enough to look at my toilet, and then I hope you will excuse me for daring to request you to call upon me, instead of coming to you as I ought to have done.
But you see I have not even doffed my travelling habit, and it would not have behooved me to call on you in such a costume; but the intelligence I desire to communicate is of such importance that I wished to lose no time in order to lay it before you, and hence I took the liberty of inviting you to see me.”
”As far as I am concerned, I willingly accepted your invitation,” said Lord Grenville, deliberately, ”for in times like these we can well afford to disregard the requirements of etiquette.”
”That I was no less eager to follow your call,” said Count Panin, with a courteous smile, ”you have seen from the fact that I arrived at the same time with the distinguished amba.s.sador of Great Britain. But now, gentlemen, a truce to compliments; let us come to the point directly, and without any further circ.u.mlocution. For the six months that I have been here at Berlin, in order to negotiate with Prussia about the coalition question, I have been so incessantly put off with empty phrases, that I am heartily tired of that diet and long for more substantial food.”
”Your longing will be gratified to-day, Count Panin,” said Count Haugwitz, with a proud smile, inviting the gentlemen, by a polite gesture, to take seats on the sofa, while he sat down in an arm-chair opposite them. ”Yes, you will find to-day a good and nouris.h.i.+ng diet, and I hope you will be content with the cook who has prepared it for you. I may say that I am that cook, and believe me, gentlemen, the task of preparing that food for you has not been a very easy one.”
”You have induced the King of Prussia at length to join the coalition, and to enter into an alliance with Russia, England, and Austria against the French Republic?” asked Count Panin, joyfully.
”You have told his majesty that England is ready to pay large subsidies as soon as Prussia leads her army into the field against France?” asked Lord Grenville.
”Gentlemen,” said Count Haugwitz, in a slightly sarcastic tone, ”I feel greatly flattered by your impetuous inquiries, for they prove to me how highly you value an alliance with Prussia. Permit me, however, to communicate to you quietly and composedly the whole course of negotiations. You know that I had the honor of accompanying my royal master on his trip to our Westphalian possessions, where his majesty was going to review an army of sixty thousand men.”
”It would have been better to send these sixty thousand men directly into the field, instead of losing time by useless parades,” muttered Count Panin.
The minister seemed not to have heard the words, and continued: ”His majesty established his headquarters at Peterhagen, and there we were informed that Archduke Charles of Austria was holding the Rhine against Bernadotte and Jourdan, and that the imperial army, under the command of Kray, in Italy, had been victorious, too; it is true, however, the Russian auxiliary army, under Field-Marshal Suwarrow, had greatly facilitated Kray's successful operations. This intelligence did not fail to make a powerful impression upon my young king, and I confess upon myself too. Hitherto, you know, I had always opposed to a war against France, and I had deemed it most expedient for Prussia to avoid hostilities against the republic. But the brilliant achievements of Russia and Austria in Italy, and the victories of Archduke Charles on the Rhine, seem to prove at length that the lucky star of France is paling, and that it would be advantageous for Prussia openly to join the adversaries of the republic in their attack.”
”A very bold and magnanimous resolution,” said Count Panin, with a sarcastic smile.
”A resolution influenced somewhat by the British subsidies I have promised to Prussia, I suppose?” asked Lord Grenville.
”Let me finish my statement, gentlemen,” said Count Haugwitz, courteously. ”The king, undecided as to the course he ought to pursue, a.s.sembled at Paterhagen a council of war, our great commander, Ferdinand, duke of Brunswick, of course, having been invited to be present. His majesty requested us to state honestly and sincerely whether we were in favor of war or peace with France. The duke of Brunswick was, of course, the first speaker who replied to the king; he voted for war. He gave his reasons in a fiery and energetic speech, and demonstrated to the king that at a time when England was about to send an army to Holland, an advance into Holland by our own army would be highly successful. For my part, I unconditionally a.s.sented to the duke's opinion, and Baron k.o.c.keritz declaring for it likewise, the king did not hesitate any longer, but took a great and bold resolution. He ordered the Duke of Brunswick to draw up a memorial, stating in extenso why Prussia ought to partic.i.p.ate in the war against France, and to send in at the same time a detailed plan of the campaign. He instructed me to return forthwith to Berlin, and while he would continue his journey to Wesel, to hasten to the capital for the purpose of informing you, gentlemen, that the king will join the coalition, and of settling with you the particulars--”
At this moment the door of the reception-room was hastily opened, and the first secretary of the minister made his appearance.
”Pardon me, your excellency, for disturbing you,” he said, handing a sealed letter to the count, ”but a courier has just arrived from the king's headquarters with an autograph letter from his majesty. He had orders to deliver this letter immediately to your excellency, because it contained intelligence of the highest importance.”
”Tell the courier that the orders of his majesty have been carried out,”
said Count Haugwitz; ”and you, gentlemen, I am sure you will permit me to open this letter from my king in your presence. It may contain some important particulars in relation to our new alliance.”
The two gentlemen a.s.sured him of their consent, and Count Haugwitz opened the letter. When he commenced reading it, his face was as unruffled as ever, but his features gradually a.s.sumed a graver expression, and the smile disappeared from his lips.
The two amba.s.sadors, who were closely watching the count's countenance, could not fail to notice this rapid change in his features, and their faces now a.s.sumed likewise a gloomier air.
Count Haugwitz, however, seemed unable to master the contents of the royal letter; he constantly read it anew, as though he were seeking in its words for a hidden and mysterious meaning. He was so absorbed in the perusal of the letter that he had apparently become entirely oblivious of the presence of the two gentlemen, until a slight coughing of the English amba.s.sador aroused him from his musing.
”Pardon me, gentlemen,” he said, hastily, and in evident embarra.s.sment; ”this letter contains some intelligence which greatly astonishes me.”
”I hope it will not interfere with the accession of Prussia to the coalition?” said Panin, fixing his eyes upon the countenance of the minister.
”Not at all,” said Count Haugwitz, quickly and smilingly. ”The extraordinary news is this: his majesty the king will reach Berlin within this hour, and orders me to repair to him at once.”
”The king returns to Berlin!” exclaimed Count Panin.
”And did not your excellency tell us just now that the king had set out for Wesel?” asked Lord Grenville, with his usual stoical equanimity.