Part 59 (1/2)

During this conversation the friends had followed little frequented paths in the park, and were now near the magnificent gate which leads on this side straight from the park into the city. The crowd at the Booths must have dissolved immediately after they had left it, for the head of an immense procession coming from that direction had just reached the gate. Here they met the crowd that were still coming from the city into the park. It could not be avoided; the crowds met and filled the narrow pa.s.sages of the great gate immediately before the guard-house, where a company of soldiers was standing with arms grounded. The people gazed and wondered at the unusual sight. Others pushed their way up to see what was the matter. In an instant the guard-house was surrounded by hundreds of men standing in a semi-circle, which was steadily growing smaller and smaller. The captain in command of the company, a tall officer with a savage expression in his sharply-marked features, cast furious glances at the mult.i.tude, but did not deign to say a word. It was easy to see what was going on in his soul. Suddenly he gave an order with an angrily-shrill voice: ”Attention! Eyes right! Shoulder arms! Attention! Load!”

The ramrods rattled, and in an instant the order was obeyed.

It had been intended as a warning merely for the crowd; but, as it will happen in such cases, it produced exactly the opposite effect to what had been intended. Those who stood nearest could not move back, and those behind had only become more curious to know what the noise of the ramrods meant. A fatal encounter between the soldiers and the people seemed unavoidable.

Just then a tall man pushed his way between the idlers and walked up to the captain.

”Allow me to say a word to you.”

”What do you want?”

”My name is Oldenburg. I have the honor to address Count Grieben?”

The officer touched his helmet to salute. ”Glad to see you again, baron, after so many years. Come in time; shall be compelled to fire upon the rabble.”

”It was to prevent that that I begged leave to introduce myself. You have a simple and infallible means to induce these people to move on, and thus to prevent an irreparable calamity.”

”What is that?”

”Let your men retire into the guard-house.”

”What are you thinking of! to make such a concession to the rabble?

Besides, it is against orders.”

”Then at least call upon the people to go home.”

”I have no desire to open negotiations with the _c.r.a.pule_.”

”Will you permit me to do so?”

”As you like,” replied the officer, leaving Oldenburg with cold politeness.

Oldenburg advanced a few steps towards the close semi-circle and said, speaking as loud as he could,

”Gentlemen, you are in some danger if you remain standing here. Many of you have been in the army, and know that the soldier has to obey orders, and no questions allowed. Don't, therefore, force your fellow-citizens, who are here under arms, to turn against you. Let us avail ourselves of our right to go where we choose to go. It is a bore to remain standing so long on the same spot.”

”He is right,” said a square-shouldered citizen from the head of the crowd. ”I will begin to scramble off!”

The people laughed. And as the shrill voice of a cigar-dealer began to sing, ”Move slowly, slowly, good Austrians, now!” the dense crowd gradually got into motion, especially as at that moment cries and other noises arose in a different direction and attracted the curious among them.

Some distance higher up the Lindens--for Unter den Linden is the name of the superb street which leads from the gate to the palace--a collision had taken place between the people and one of the numerous patrols which had been marching up and down for some hours between the palace and the gate. Unfortunately there had been no Oldenburg here to interfere and prevent the mischief. The commander of the patrol--a second detachment was marching on a level on the opposite side of the street--was an officer of gigantic stature, whose dark, threatening mien announced the firm determination to punish the slightest resistance instantly and without mercy. Everybody had so timidly given way before him, as he marched down at the head of his men, that he seemed to be justified in smiling contemptuously whenever such an event occurred. But now he came to a place where a narrow but much frequented side street opened upon the Lindens. This pa.s.sage was crammed full of people, who wanted to see what was going on in the main street. From the Lindens others came who wished to go down that pa.s.sage. Thus an immense ma.s.s of people had been crowded together here, and the confusion, great as it was, became still more awkward, when the patrol marched straight down upon them.

”Make way!” ordered the officer, marching into the crowd without looking right or left.

Those who stood nearest gave way to the side, but others pressed back upon them. A short confusion arose, during which the officer was cut off from his men.

”Make way!” repeated the officer, in still harsher tones.