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第81节

frederick the great and his family-第81节

小说: frederick the great and his family 字数: 每页4000字

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y lover; and I will be your friend。 Here is my handI offer you my friendship; will you accept; it?〃

〃Will I accept it?〃 said he; rapturously; 〃you offer me life; and ask if I will accept it!〃

Louise smiled softly。 She found that Ranuzi declared his friendship in almost as glowing terms as he had confessed his love。 〃So then;〃 said she; 〃you have sorrows that you dare not name?〃

〃Yes; but they are not my own individual griefs I suffer; but it is for another。〃

〃That sounds mysterious。 For whom do you suffer?〃

〃For a poor prisoner; who; far from the world; far from the haunts of men; languishes in wretchedness and chainswhom not only men but God has forgotten; for He will not even send His minister Death to release him。 I cannot; I dare not say moreit is not my secret; and I have sworn to disclose it to but one person。〃

〃And this person〃

〃Is the Princess Amelia of Prussia;〃 said Ranuzi。

Louise shrank back; and looked searchingly at the count。 〃A sister of the king! And you say that your secret relates to a poor prisoner?〃

〃I said so。 Oh; my noble; magnanimous friend; do not ask me to say more; I dare not; but I entreat you to help me。 I must speak with the princess。 You are her confidante and friend; you alone can obtain me an interview。〃

〃It is impossible! impossible!〃 cried Madame du Trouffle; rising up and pacing the room hastily。 Ranuzi followed her with his eyes; observed every movement; and read in her countenance every emotion of her soul。

〃I will succeed;〃 said he to himself; and proud triumph swelled his heart。

Louise drew near and stood before him。

〃Listen;〃 said she; gravely; 〃it is a daring; a dangerous enterprise in which you wish to entangle medoubly dangerous for me; as the king suspects me; and he would never forgive it if he should learn that I had dared to act against his commands; and to assist the Princess Amelia to save an unhappy wretch whom he had irretrievably condemned。 I know well who this prisoner is; but do not call his nameit is dangerous to speak it; even to think it。 I be long not to the confidantes of the princess in this matter; and I do not desire it。 Speak no more of the prisoner; but of yourself。 You wish to be presented to the princess。 Why not apply to Baron Pollnitz?〃

〃I have not gold enough to bribe him; and; besides that; he is a babbler; and purchasable。 To…morrow he would betray me。〃

〃You are right; and he could not obtain you a secret interview。 One of the maids of honor must always be present; and the princess is surrounded by many spies。 But there is a means; and it lies in my hands。 Listen!〃

Louise bowed and whispered。

Ranuzi's face sparkled with triumph。

〃To…morrow; then;〃 said he; as he withdrew。

〃To…morrow;〃 said Louise; 〃expect me at the castle gate; and be punctual。〃




CHAPTER V。

THE FORTUNE…TELLER。


The heavy curtains were drawn down; and a gloomy twilight reigned in this great; silent room; whose dreary stillness was only interrupted by the monotonous stroke of the clock; and the deep sighs and lamentations which came from the sofa in a distant part of the room。 There in the corner; drawn up convulsively and motionless; lay a female form; her hands clasped over her breast; her eyes fixed staringly toward heaven; and from time to time uttering words of grief and scorn and indignation。

She was alone in her anguishever alone; she had been alone for many years; grief and disappointment had hardened her heart; and made it insensible to all sorrows but her own。 She hated men; she hated the world; she railed at those who were gay and happy; she had no pity for those who wept and mourned。

Had she not suffered more? Did she not still suffer? Who had been merciful; who had pitied her sorrows? Look now at this poor; groaning woman! Do you recognize these fearful features; deformed by sickness and grief; these blood…shot eyes; these thin; colorless lips; ever convulsively pressed together; as if to suppress a wild shriek of agony; which are only unclosed to utter cold; harsh words of scorn and passion? Do you know this woman? Has this poor; unhappy; deformed being any resemblance to the gay; beautiful; intellectual Princess Amelia; whom we once knew? and yet this is the Princess Amelia。 How have the mighty fallen! Look at the transforming power of a few sorrowful years! The sister of a mighty hero king; but a poor desolate creature; shunned and avoided by all: she knows that men fly from her; and she will have it so; she will be alonelonely in the midst of the world; even as he is; in the midst of his dark and gloomy prison。 Amelia calls the whole world her prison; she often says to herself that her soul is shut in behind the iron bars of her body and can never be delivered; that her heart lies upon the burning gridiron of the base world; and cannot escape; it is bound there with the same chains which are around about and hold him in captivity。

But Amelia says this only to herself; she desires no sympathy; she knows no one will dare to pity her。 Destiny placed her high in rank and alonealone she will remain; her complaints might perhaps bring new danger to him she loves; of whom alone she thinks; for whose sake alone she supports existence; she lives only for him。 Can this be called life? A perpetual hopeand yet hopelessa constant watching and listening for one happy moment; which never comes! She had not been permitted to live for him; she would not die without him。 So long as he lived he might need her aid; and might call upon her for help in the hour of extremest need; so she would not die。

She was not wholly dead; but her youth; her heart; her peace; her illusions; her hopes were dead; she was opposed to all that lived; to the world; to all mankind。 In the wide world she loved but two persons: one; who languished in prison and who suffered for her sake; Frederick von Trenck; the other; he who had made her wretched and who had the power to liberate Trenck and restore their peace the king。 Amelia had loved her mother; but she was dead; grief at the lost battle of Collin killed her。 She had loved her sister; the Margravine of Baireuth; but she died of despair at the lost battle of Hochkirch。 Grief and the anger and contempt of the king had killed her brother; the Prince Augustus William of Prussia。 She was therefore alone; alone! Her other sisters were far away; they were happy; and with the happy she had nothing to do; with them she had no sympathy。 Her two brothers were in the field; they thought not of her。 There was but one who remembered her; and he was under the earthnot dead; but buriedburied alive。 The blackness of thick darkness is round about him; but he is not blind; there is glorious sunshine; but he sees it not。

These fearful thoughts had crushed Amelia's youth; her mind; her life; she stood like a desolate ruin under the wreck of the past。 The rude storms of life whistled over her; and she laughed them to scorn; she had no more to fearnot she; if an oak fell; if a fair flower was crushed; her heart was glad; her own wretchedness had made her envious and malicious; perhaps she concealed her sympathy; under this seeming harshness; perhaps she gave herself the appearance of proud reserve; knowing that she was feared and avoided。 Whoever drew near her was observed and suspected; the spies of the king surrounded her and kept her friends; if she had friends; far off。 Perhaps Amelia would have been less unhappy if she had fled for shelter to Him who is the refuge of all hearts; if she had turned to her God in her anguish and despair。 But she was not a pious believer; like the noble and patient Elizabeth Christine; the disdained wife of Frederick the Great。

Princess Amelia was the true sister of the king; the pupil of Voltaire; she mocked at the church and scorned the consolations of religion。 She also was forced to pay some tribute to her sex; she failed in the strong; self…confident; intellectual independence of Frederick; her poor; weak; trembling hands wandered around seeking support; as religion; in its mighty mission; was rejected; she turned for consolation to superstition。 While Elizabeth Christine prayed; Amelia tried her fortune with cards; while the queen gathered around her ministers of the gospel and pious scholars; the princess called to the prophets and fortune…tellers。 While Elizabeth found comfort in reading the Holy Scriptures; Amelia found consolation in the mystical and enigmatical words of her sooth… sayers。 While the queen translated sermons and pious hymns into French; Amelia wrote down carefully all the prophecies of her cards; her coffee…grounds; and the stars; and both ladies sent their manuscripts to the king。

Frederick received them both with a kindly and pitiful smile。 The pious manuscript of the queen was laid aside unread; but the oracles of the princess were carefully looked over。 Perhaps this was done in pity for the poor; wounded spirit which found distraction in such child's play。 It is certain that when the king wrote to the princess; he thanked her for her manuscripts; and asked her to continue to send them。 'Footnote: Thiebault; p。 279。' But he also demanded perfect silence as to this strange correspondence; he feared his enemies might falsely interpret his consider

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