Part 21 (1/2)
No sooner had he left the room, than the chancellor laid his hand on the major's arm, and bent over him. ”My friend,” he said, in a low, hurried voice, ”I know you share my views.”
”Your excellency knows that I adore you as the statesman who holds the future happiness of Prussia in his hands, and that I abhor the French, who have brought Prussia to the brink of ruin.”
”Will you do something to bring her back from this brink?”
”Yes, your excellency, though it cost my life.”
”That would be a high price. No; we stand in need of your life and your arm, for Prussia will soon need all her soldiers. What I ask of you is not near so valuable. Listen to me. The king sends you as a courier to Old Prussia. Repair, in the first place, to Murat's headquarters, and deliver the king's letter to him. Go to the Russian headquarters, and call upon Prince Wittgenstein. All I ask of you is to inform Prince Wittgenstein that you are the bearer of two dispatches. Tell him that one is an autograph letter from the king to the Emperor Alexander, and the other a decree removing General York from his command, and ordering him to be put on his trial before a military commission.”
”What!” exclaimed Natzmer, in dismay. ”Our n.o.ble York is to be removed from his command?”
”Yes; the king has resolved to remove and cas.h.i.+er him, because he has gone over with his corps to the Russians.”
”York gone over to the Russians!” exclaimed Natzmer, joyously. ”And for this wondrously bold step I am to bring him a decree superseding and cas.h.i.+ering him?”
”That is what the king orders you to do, and, of course, you will have to obey. But, I repeat to you, the only thing I ask of you is to inform Prince Wittgenstein what dispatches are in your hands, and what their contents are.”
”But suppose the king should not tell me any thing about them?
Suppose their contents, therefore, should be unknown to me?”
”The king himself will communicate the contents to you, and even order you to mention everywhere on the road that you are the bearer of a decree cas.h.i.+ering York, the criminal general. It is of great importance to his majesty that every one, and, above all, France, should learn that he is highly incensed at York's defection, and that--Hus.h.!.+ I hear Timm coming! You will comply with my request?”
”I shall inform Prince Wittgenstein of the contents of my dispatches.”
”In that case, I hope York will be safe! Hus.h.!.+”
The door opened again, and the chamberlain entered. ”Your excellency was quite right,” he said; ”it was well that I announced your arrival. His majesty, like ourselves, had fallen asleep. But now he is awaiting you.” He opened the folding-doors, and Hardenberg hastened across the adjoining room to the king's cabinet, to communicate to him the result of his interview with the French amba.s.sador.
An hour afterward Major Natzmer received three dispatches at the hands of the king. The first was a letter to Napoleon's lieutenant at the head of the French army, the King of Naples. In this Frederick William informed Murat that he was filled with the most intense indignation at the step York had taken, and that he had commissioned Major Natzmer to deliver a royal decree to General Kleist, authorizing him to take command of the troops and arrest General York. He declared further in this letter that, as a matter of course, he refused to ratify the convention, and that the Prussian troops, commanded by General Kleist, should be, as they had been heretofore, subject to the orders of the Emperor Napoleon, and his lieutenant, the King of Naples. [Footnote: Droysen's ”Life of York,” vol. ii., p. 37.] The second dispatch was confidential, to the Emperor Alexander, the contents of which the king had not communicated even to his chancellor of state. The third was, the decree superseding York, and ordering Kleist to take command of the troops. ”I think,” said the king, after Natzmer had withdrawn, ”we have now done every thing to appease Napoleon's wrath, and avert from Prussia all evil consequences. Are you not also of this opinion, M. Chancellor?”
”It only remains to send a special envoy to Napoleon himself and a.s.sure him of your majesty's profound indignation,” said Hardenberg, gloomily. ”The proud emperor, perhaps, expects such a proof of the fidelity of your majesty.”
The king cast a quick and searching glance on the gloomy countenance of the chancellor, and then gazed for some time musingly. ”You are right,” he said, after a pause; ”I must send a special envoy to Paris. When it is necessary to appease a bloodthirsty tiger, no means should be left untried. I myself will write to Napoleon and a.s.sure him that I will faithfully adhere to the alliance. Prince Hatzfeld will depart with this letter for Paris early in the morning.”
”Your majesty will then have done every thing to satisfy the French of the sincerity of your friendly intentions toward them, but I am afraid they do not care to be satisfied.”
”You believe, then, seriously that the French are menacing me?”
asked the king, with a contemptuous smile.
”I am convinced of it, your majesty.”
”But what do you believe, then? What are you afraid of?”
”As I said before, I am afraid they will dare abduct the sacred person of your majesty, and I beseech you to be on your guard; never leave your palace alone and unarmed; never go into the street without being attended by an armed escort.”
”Ah,” said the king, with a sad smile, ”do not the French always see to it that I am attended by an escort? Am I not always surrounded by their spies and eavesdroppers?”
”If your majesty is aware of this, why do you not yield to my entreaties? Why do you not leave Berlin?”
”Perhaps to go to Potsdam? Shall I be less watched there by the spies? Shall I there be less a prisoner?”
”No, your majesty ought to leave Berlin in order to deliver yourself at one blow, and thoroughly, from this intolerable espionage. Your majesty ought to make up your mind to go to Breslau. There you would be nearer your army; there your faithful subjects and followers would rally round you, and the Emperor Alexander perhaps would soon come thither. At all events, your majesty would there be secure from the French spies, and your adherents would be delivered from their anxiety for the personal safety of your majesty.”