Part 78 (1/2)
”Sire, one of the most faithful adherents and admirers of your majesty, M. von Brandt, formerly major in the Austrian service, pledges his word of honor that she is not, and?”
At this moment the door was opened violently, and Grand-marshal Duroe entered.
”Ah, your majesty is here still!” he exclaimed, joyfully. ”Your majesty has not yet received the lady?”
”Well, does that concern you?” asked Napoleon, smiling. ”You are jealous, perhaps? This lady is said to be very beautiful.”
”Sire,” said Duroc, solemnly, ”even though she were as beautiful as Cleopatra, your majesty ought not to receive her.”
”I ought not?” asked Napoleon, sternly. ”What should prevent me from doing so?”
”Sire, the sacred duty to preserve yourself to your people, to your empire. This lady who tries to penetrate with so much pa.s.sionate violence to your majesty is a dangerous intriguer, a mortal enemy of France and your majesty.”
Napoleon cast a triumphant glance on Constant, who, pale and trembling, was leaning against the wall.
”Well,” he asked, ”will you defend her still?”
Without waiting for Constant's reply, he turned again to the grand-marshal.
”Whence did you obtain this information?”
”Sire, the governor of Vienna, M. de Vincennes, has just arrived here in the utmost haste. His horse fell half dead to the ground when he entered the courtyard. He feared that he might be too late.”
”How too late?”
”Too late to warn your majesty from this lady, who has evidently come to carry out some criminal enterprise.”
”Ah, bah! she was, perhaps, going to a.s.sa.s.sinate me?”
”Sire, that is what M. de Vincennes a.s.serts.”
”Ah!” exclaimed Napoleon, turning once more toward Constant, ”did you not tell me that she was deeply enamoured of me? Is the governor here still?”
”Yes, sire; he wants to know whether he shall not immediately arrest the lady and closely question her.”
Napoleon was silent for a moment, and seemed to reflect.
”Constant,” he then said, ”tell M. de Vincennes to come hither. I myself want to speak to him.”
Constant went at once into the anteroom and returned in a minute, to introduce the governor of Vienna, M. de Vincennes.
Napoleon hastily went to meet him. ”You have come to warn me,” he said, sternly. ”What are your reasons for doing so?”
”Sire, the intentions of this lady are extremely suspicious. Since I have been in Vienna she has been incessantly watched by my agents, because she is the intellectual head of all the dangerous and hostile elements of the city. All the enemies of your majesty, all the so-called German patriots, meet at her house, and by closely watching HER, we could learn all our enemies' plans and actions. Hence, it was necessary for us to find an agent in her house who would report to me every day what had been going on there, and I was so fortunate as to enlist the services of her mistress of ceremonies.”
”By what means did you bribe her?” asked Napoleon. ”By means of love or money?”
”Sire, thank G.o.d, money alone was sufficient for the purpose.”
The emperor smiled. ”The woman is old and ugly, then?”