frederick the great and his family-第126章

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Deesen　hurried　off；　and　the　king　looked　smilingly　after　him　for　a　moment；　and　was　on　the　point　of　returning　to　his　reading；　when　his　attention　was　attracted　by　the　approach　of　a　carriage。

〃Ah；〃　he　murmured　anxiously；　〃I　fear　that　I　shall　be　disturbed　again　by　some　cousin；　who　has　come　to　rob　me　of　my　time　by　hypocritical　professions　of　love。〃

He　looked　anxiously　toward　the　door。　It　was　soon　opened；　and　a　servant　announced　Prince　Henry。

The　king's　countenance　cleared；　and　he　advanced　to　meet　his　brother　with　a　bright　smile。　But　his　greeting　was　not　returned；　and　the　prince　did　not　appear　to　see　the　extended　hand　of　the　king。　A　heavy　cloud　lay　upon　his　browhis　cheeks　were　colorless　and　his　lips　compressed；　as　if　he　wished　to　suppress　the　angry　and　indignant　words　which　his　flashing　eyes　expressed。

〃Ah；　my　brother；〃　said　the　king；　sadly；　〃it　seems　that　you　have　come　to　announce　a　misfortune。〃

〃No；〃　said　the　prince；　〃I　only　came；　your　majesty；　to　recall　a　conversation　which　I　held　with　you　ten　years　ago　in　this　same　room；　on　this　very　spot。〃

〃Ten　years　ago？〃　said　the　king。　〃That　was　at　the　time　of　your　marriage；　Henry。〃

〃Yes；　the　conversation　I　refer　to　concerned　my　marriage；　sire。　You　had　pursued　me　so　long　with　that　subject；　that　I　had　at　length　concluded　to　submit　to　the　yoke　which　was　to　free　me　from　those　unworthy　and　humiliating　persecutions。〃

〃I　think　that　you　could　select　more　fitting　expressions；　my　brother；〃　said　the　king；　with　flashing　eyes。　〃You　forget　that　you　are　speaking　to　your　king。〃

〃But　I　remember　that　I　am　speaking　to　my　brother；　whose　duty　is　to　hear　the　complaints　which　I　have　to　utter　against　the　king。〃

〃Speak；〃　said　the　king；　after　a　slight　pause。　〃Your　brother　will　hear　you。〃

〃I　come　to　remind　you　of　that　hour；〃　said　the　prince；　solemnly；　〃in　which　I　gave　my　consent　to　be　married。　As　I　did　so；　sire；　I　said　to　you　that　I　should　hold　you　responsible　for　this　marriage　which　was　made　for　political　purposes　and　not　from　lovethat　I　would　call　you　to　account　before　the　throne　of　God；　and　there　ask　you　by　what　right　you　robbed　me　of　my　liberty；　by　what　right　you　laid　a　chain　upon　my　hand　and　heart　which　love　could　not　help　me　to　bear。　I　said　further；　sireif　the　weight　of　this　chain　should　become　too　heavy；　and　this　unnatural　connection　of　a　marriage　without　love　should　drive　me　to　despair；　that　upon　your　head　would　rest　the　curse　of　my　misery；　and　that　you　would　be　answerable　for　my　destroyed　existence；　for　my　perished　hopes。〃

〃And　I；〃　said　the　king；　〃I　took　this　responsibility　upon　me。　As　your　king　and　your　elder　brother；　I　reminded　you　of　your　duty　to　give　the　state　a　familysons　who　would　be　an　example　of　courage　and　honor　to　the　men；　and　daughters　who　would　be　a　pattern　of　virtue　and　propriety　to　the　women。　In　view　of　these　duties；　I　demanded　of　you　to　be　married。〃

〃I　come　now　to　call　you　to　account　for　this　marriage；〃　exclaimed　the　prince；　solemnly。　〃I　have　come　to　tell　you　that　my　heart　is　torn　with　pain　and　misery；　that　I　am　the　most　wretched　of　men；　and　that　you　have　made　me　soyou；　who　forced　me　into　this　marriage；　although　you　knew　the　shame　and　despair　of　a　marriage　without　love。　You　had　already　taken　a　heavy　responsibility　upon　yourself　by　your　own　marriage；　and　if　you　were　compelled　to　endure　it　so　long　as　my　father　lived；　you　should　have　relieved　yourself　from　it　so　soon　as　you　were　free；　that　is；　so　soon　as　you　were　king。　But　you　preferred　to　continue　in　this　unnatural　connection；　or　rather　you　put　the　chains　from　your　hands；　and　let　them　drag　at　your　feet。　Not　to　outrage　the　world　by　your　divorce；　you　gave　it　the　bad　example　of　a　wretched　marriage。　You　made　yourself　free；　and　you　made　a　slave　of　your　poor　wife；　who　has　been　a　martyr　to　your　humors　and　cruelty。　You　profaned　the　institution　of　marriage。　You　gave　a　bad　and　dangerous　example　to　your　subjects；　and　it　has　done　its　work。　Look　around　in　your　land；　sire。　Everywhere　you　will　see　unhappy　women　who　have　been　deserted　by　their　husbands；　and　miserable　men　who　have　been　dishonored　by　their　faithless　wives。　Look　at　your　own　family。　Our　sister　of　Baireuth　died　of　grief；　and　of　the　humiliation　she　endured　from　the　mistress　of　her　husband。　Our　brother；　Augustus　William；　died　solitary　and　alone。　He　withdrew　in　his　grief　to　Oranienburg；　and　his　wife　remained　in　Berlin。　She　was　not　with　him　when　he　died；　strangers　received　his　last　breathstrangers　closed　his　eyes。　Our　sister　of　Anspach　quarrelled　with　her　husband；　until　finally　she　submitted；　and　made　a　friend　of　his　mistress。　And　I；　sire；　I　also　stand　before　you　with　the　brand　of　shame　upon　my　brow。　I　also　have　been　betrayed　and　deceived；　and　all　this　is　your　work。　If　the　king　mocks　at　the　sacred　duties　of　marriage；　how　can　he　expect　that　his　family　and　subjects　should　respect　them？　It　is　the　fashion　in　your　land　for　husbands　and　wives　to　deceive　one　another；　and　it　is　you　who　have　set　this　fashion。〃

〃I　have　allowed　you　to　finish；　Henry；〃　said　the　king；　when　the　prince　was　at　length　silent。　〃I　have　allowed　you　to　finish；　but　I　have　not　heard　your　angry　and　unjust　reproaches；　I　have　only　heard　that　my　brother　is　unhappy；　and　it　is；　I　know；　natural　for　the　unhappy　to　seek　the　source　of　their　sorrows　in　others　and　not　in　themselves。　I　forgive　all　that　you　have　said　against　me；　but　if　you　hold　me　responsible　for　the　miserable　consequences　of　the　war；　which　kept　the　men　at　a　distance　for　years　and　loosened　family　ties；　that　shows　plainly　that　your　judgment　is　unreliable；　and　that　you　cannot　discriminate　with　justice。　I　did　not　commence　this　war　heedlessly；　I　undertook　it　as　a　heavy　burden。　It　has　made　an　old　man　of　me；　it　has　eaten　up　my　life　before　my　time。　I　see　all　the　evil　results；　and　I　consider　it　my　sacred　duty　to　bind　up　the　wounds　which　it　has　inflicted　on　my　country。　I　work　for　this　object　day　and　night；　I　give　all　of　my　energies　to　this　effort；　I　have　sacrificed　to　it　all　my　personal　inclinations。　But　I　must　be　contented　to　bind　up　the　wounds。　I　cannot　make　want　disappear；　I　cannot　immediately　change　sorrow　into　gladness。〃

〃Ah；　sire；　you　seek　to　avoid　the　subject；　and　to　speak　of　the　general　unhappiness　instead　of　my　special　grief。　I　call　you　to　account；　because　you　forced　me　to　take　a　wife　that　I　did　not　knowa　wife　who　has　made　me　the　most　miserable　of　mena　wife　who　has　outraged　my　honor；　and　betrayed　my　heart。　You　gave　me　a　wife　who　has　robbed　me　of　all　I　held　dear　on　earthof　the　wife　I　loved；　and　of　the　friend　I　trusted。〃

〃Poor　brother；〃　said　the　king；　gently；　〃you　are　enduring　the　torments　from　which　I　also　suffered；　before　my　heart　became　hardened　as　it　now　is。　Yes；　it　is　a　fearful　pain　to　be　forced　to　despise　the　friend　that　you　trustedto　be　betrayed　by　those　we　have　loved。　I　have　passed　through　that　grief。　The　man　suffered　deeply　in　me　before　his　existence　was　merged　in　that　of　the　king。〃

〃Sire；〃　said　the　prince；　suddenly；　〃I　have　come　to　you　to　demand　justice　and　punishment。　You　have　occasioned　the　misery　of　my　house；　it　is　therefore　your　duty　to　alleviate　it；　as　far　as　in　you　lies。　I　accuse　my　wife；　the　Princess　Wilhelmina；　of　infidelity　and　treachery。　I　accuse　Count　Kalkreuth；　who　dares　to　love　my　wife；　of　being　a　traitor　to　your　royal　family。　I　demand　your　consent　to　my　divorce　from　the　princess；　and　to　the　punishment　of　the　traitor。　That　is　the　satisfaction　which　I　demand　of　your　majesty　for　the　ruin　which　you　have　wrought　in　my　life。〃

〃You　wish　to　make　me　answerable　for　the　capriciousness　of　woman　and　the　faithlessness　of　man；〃　asked　the　king；　with　a　sad　smile。　〃You　do　that　because　I；　in　performing　my　duty　as　a　king；　forced　you　to　marry。　It　is　true　you　did　not　love　your　intended　wife；　because　you　did　not　know　her；　but　you　learned　to　love　her。　That　proves　that　I　did　not　make　a　bad　choice；　your　present　pain　is　a　justification　for　me。　You　are　unhappy　because　you　love　the　wife　I　gave　you　with　your　whole　heart。　For　the　capriciousness　of　women　you　cannot　hold　me　responsible；　and　I　did　not　select　the　friend　who　has　so　wickedly　betrayed　you。　You　demand　of　me　that　I　should　punish　both。　Have　you　considered；　my　brother；　that　in　punishing　them　I　should　make　your　disgrace　and　misery　public　to　the　world？　Do　not　imagine；　Henry；　that　men　pity　us　for　our　griefs；　when　they　seem　most　deeply　to　sympathize　with　us　they　feel　an　inward　pleasure；　especially　if　it　is　a　prince　who　suffers。　It　pleases　men　that　fate；　which　has　given　us　an　exceptional　position；　does　not　spare　us　the　ordinary　sorrows　of　humanity。〃

〃I　understand；　then；　that　you　refuse　my　request；〃　said　the　prince。　〃You　will　not　consent　to　my　divorce；　you　will　not　punish　the　traitor？〃

〃No；　I　do　not　refuse　your　request；　but　I　beg　you　will　take　three　days　to　consider　what　I　have　said　to　you。　At　the　end　of　that　time；　should　you　come　to　me；　and　make　the　same　demand；　I　will　give　my　consent；　that　is；　I　will　have　you　publicly　separated　from　your　wife；　I　will　have　Count　Kalkreuth　punished；　and　will　thus　give　the　world　the　right　to　laugh　at　the　hero　of　Freiburg。〃

〃Very　well；　sire；〃　said　the　prince；　thoughtfully；　〃I　will　remind　you　of　your　promise。　I　beg　you　will　now　dismiss　me；　for　you　see　I　am　a　very　man　and　no　philosopher；　unworthy　to　be　a　guest　at　Sans…Souci。〃

He　bowed　to　the　king；　who　tenderly　pressed　his　hand　and　silently　left　the　room。

Frederick　looked　after　him　with　an　expression　of　unutterable　pity。

〃Three　days　will　be　long　enough　to　deaden　his　pain；　and　then　he　will　be　more　reasonable　and　form　other　resolutions。〃




CHAPTER　XIII。

A　HUSBAND'S　REVENGE。


Camilla　lay　upon　a　sofa　in　her　boudoir；　and　listened　with　breathless　attention　to　the　account　her　beau　cousin　gave　of　the　adventures　of　the　last　eight　days。　She　listened　with　sparkling　eyes　to　the　witty　description　he　gave　of　his　duel　with　Lord　Elliot；　and　declared　that　she　found　him　extraordinarily　brilliant。　Camilla　was　indeed　proud　of　her　handsome　lover。　Kindar　explained　minutely　how　he　had　compelled　Lord　Elliot；　who　for　a　long　time　avoided　and　fled　from　him；　to　fight　a　duel　with　him。　How　he　forced　him　on　his　knees　to　acknowledge　that　he　had　done　his　wife　injustice；　and　to　apologize　for　the　insult　he　had　offered　to　Kindar；　in　charging　him　with　being　the　lover　of　his　pure　and　virtuous　wile。

〃And　he　did　this？〃　cried　Camilla；　〃he　knelt　before　you　and　begged　your　pardon？〃

〃Yes；　he　knelt　before　me；　and　begged　my　pardon。〃

〃Then　he　is　even　more　pitiful　than　I　thought　him；〃　said　Camilla；　〃and　I　am　justified　before　the　whole　world　in　despising　him。　Nothing　can　be　more　contemptible　than　to　beg　pardon　rather　than　fight　a　duel；　to　kneel　to　a　man　to　save　one's　miserable　life。　I　am　a　woman；　but　I　would　scorn　such　cowardice。　I　would　despise　the　man　I　loved　most　fondly　if　he　were　guilty　of　such　an　act　of　shame。〃

Camilla　was　much　excited；　she　did　not　notice　how　Kindar　started；　turned　pale；　and　fixed　his　eyes　on　the　floor。　She　was　so　charmed　with　the　courage　of　her　beau　cousin　that　she　could　think　of　nothing　else。　Even　her　frivolous　nature　had　this　feminine　instinctshe　prized　personal　daring　and　courage　in　a　man　more　than　all　other　things；　of　strength　of　mind　she　knew　nothing；　and　therefore　she　could　not　appreciate　it；　but　she　demanded　courage；　dignity；　and　strength　of　physique。　She　laid　her　hands　upon　her　cousin　with　cordial　approbation；　a