aiarnell Unitieraitg SIthrarg atliara. ^tm lark LIBRARY OF LEWIS BINGLEY WYNNE AS.. A.M. .COLUMBIAN CO LLEGE.'7I. -73 WASHINGTON. D. C. THE GIFT OF MRS. MARY A. WYNNE AND JOHN H. WYNNE CORNELL 'S8 1922 Joseph II. and his court „ 3 1924 031 280 971 olln.anx The original of tliis book is in tlie Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924031280971 "You are, then, very poor?" asked the Emperor, softly. (page 147.) JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT <3ln historical Noticl BY L. MUHLBACH AUTHOR OF FREDERICK THE GREAT AND HIS COURT. THE MERCHANT OF BERLIN, BERLIN AND SANS-SOUa, FREDERICK THE GREAT AND HIS FAMILY, STORY OF A MILLIONAIRE, TWO LIFE PATHS, ETC. TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN By ADELAIDE DeV. CHAUDRON MEW YORK D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 1899 M~looo coptbight, 1865, By S. H. GOETZEL. Copyright, 1867, 1893, By D. APPLETON AND COMPANY. OOIsrTElS'TS. I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII. XIX. XX. XXI. XXII. MAEIA THERESA. ' PAas The Conference 1 The Letter, 9 The Toilet of the Empress ' 14 Husband and Wife 16 The Archduke Joseph, ... . . 23 Kaunitz, 27 The Toilet 39 The Red Stockings, 33 New Austria, 34 ISABELLA. The Young Soldier, 39 The Empress and her Son, 48 An Italian Knight, . 50 Isabella of Parma, 53 The Ambassador Extraordinary, . . , .56 The Dream of Love, 60 Gluck, ■ 66 The New Opera 70 Raniero von Calzabigi, 73 The Birthday 75 Orpheus and Eurydice, 79 " In Three Years, we meet again, " . . . . 84 Che Faro Senza Eurydice, 89 KING OP ROME. XXIII. Father Porhammer and Count Kaunitz, . . .95 XXIV. Matrimonial Plans, 98 XXV. Josepha of Bavaria, 106 XXVI. The Marriage Night, 110 XXVII. An Unhappy Marriage 116 XXVin. A Statesman's Hours of Dalliance, .... 130 XXIX. Prince Kaunitz and Eitter Gluck, .... 135 XXX. An Unfortunate Meeting 139 XXXI. Mourning 131 XXXII. The Imperial Abbess 186 XXXIII. The Co-Regent, 140 ill IV CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXXIV. XXXV. XXXVI. XXXVII. XXXVIII. XXXIX. XL. XLI. XLII. XLIII. XLIV. XLV. XL VI. XLVII. XLVIII. XLIX. FAQB Haroun al Raschid, 145 The Disguise Eemoved, 149 Eosary and Sceptre 151 The Difference between an Abbess and an Empress, 153 The Reigning Empress, 156 The Co-Regent Depased, 163 Mother and Son, ... ... 166 Death of the Liberator 170 The Mirror 174 The Interview with Kaunitz, 179 The Archduchess Josepha, 185 The Departure 188 Inoculation 190 An Adventure, 197 The Judgment of Solomon 303 Two Affianced Queens, 307 EMPEEOE OF ATJSTEIA. L. The Dinner at the French Ambassador's, . 313 LI. Marianne's Disappearance 316 LII. Count Falkenstein 330 LIII. What they found at Wichern 333 LIV. The Somnambulist 338 LV. The Prophecy, 283 LVI. The Gift, 338 LVII. The Conference 340 LVIII. Kaunitz, ... .... 343 LIX. Souvenir d'Eperies 345 LX. Fi-ederick the Great 248 LXL The Prima Donna 351 LXII. Frederick the Great and Prince Kaunitz, . . 356 LXIII. Russia a Foe to all Europe 358 LXIV. The Map of Poland, 363 LXV. The Countess Wielopolska, 366 LXVI. The Emperor and the Countess 369 LXVII. Maria Theresa 373 LXVIII. Marie Antoinette and Court Etiquette, . . 375 LXIX. The Ti-iumph of Diplomacy, 3': 8 LXX. Gossip, 381 LXXI. An Explanation, . . . . .387 LXXII. Famine in Bohemia, 392 . LXXIII. The Black Broth 296 LXXIV. The Extortioners of Quality, .... 300 LXXV. Diplomatic Esoterics, 306 LXXVI. Russia Speaks, 310 LXXVII. The Last Petition, 315 LXXVni. Finis Polonise 318 LXXIX. The Mad Countess 332 LXXX. The Betrothal 337 LXXXI. Fi-anz Anthony Mesmer 330 LXXXII. Therese von Paradies 331 LXXXin. The First Day of Light 335 CONTENTS. CHAPTER LXXXIV. Diplomatic Strategy, . LXXXV. Dominus ac Eedemptor Noster, LXXXVI. Heai't-Struggles, . LXXXVII. The Forced Bridal, LXXXVIII. Prince Louis de Rohan, LXXXIX. The Poles at Vienna, . XC. . The Last Farewell, XCI. The Concert, .... XCn. The Catastrophe, . 341 342 347 350 854 360 365 368 874 MARIE ANTOINETTE. XCIIL " Le Eoi est Mort, Vive leRoi!" . . . .377 XCIV. The Memoranda, 381 XCV. France and Austria . 384 XCVI. The King's List 388 XCVII. The First Pasquinade 390 XCVIII. The New Fashions, 898 XCIX. The Temple of Etiquette 896 C. The New Fashions and their Unhappy Results, 399 CI. Sunrise, 401 Cn. The Following Day 406 cm. The Last Appeal 410 CIV. The Flight 418 CV. Joseph in France 415 CVI. The Godfather 418 CVII. The Godfather 420 CVIII. The Arrival at Versailles 422 CIX. Count Falkenstein in Paris, . . . . . 426 ex. The Queen and the " Dames de la Halle, " . . 431 CXI. The Adopted Son of the Queen 435 CXII. " Chantons, celebrons notre Reiue, " . . . 487 CXIII. The Hotel Turenne, 440 CXIV. The Denouement 443 CXV. The Parting 445 CXVI. Joseph and Louis 448 CXVII. The Promenade and the Epigram, . . . 450 CXVIII. The Dinner en Famine, . ... 454 CXIX. A Visit to Jean Jacques Rousseau, . . . 459 CXX. The Pairing, 463 CXXI. Death of the Elector of Bavaria 468 CXXII. A Page from History, 475 CXXIII. The Emperor as Commander-in-Chief, . . 477 CXXIV. Secret Negotiations for Peace, .... 479 CXXV. Fraternal Discord, 488 CXXVI. The Defeat 488 CXXVII. The Revenge, 492 CXXVIII. A Letter to the Empress of Russia, ... .497 CXXIX. The Gratitude of Princes 500 CXXX. Frederick the Great 503 CXXXL "The Darkest Hour is before Day," . . . 50C CXXXII. The Emperor and his Mother, .... 509 VI CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE CXXXIII. Prince Potemkin, 513 CXXXIV. The Prussian Ambassador 516 CXXXV. The Austrian Ambassador, 530 CXXXVI. The Empress Catharine 525 CXXXVII. The Czarina and her Master, .... 538 CXXXVIII. A Diplomatic Defeat 533 CXXXIX. The Czarina and the Kaiser 535 THE EEIGN OF JOSEPH. CXL. The Oath ... 541 CXLI. Prince Kaunitz 543 CXLII. The Banker and his Daughter 547 CXLIII. The Countess Baillou, . . . 551 CXLrV. The Expulsion of the Clarisserines, . . 554 CXLV. • Count Podstadsky's Escort, .... 557 CXL VI. The Lampoon, ... ... 559 CXLVII. The Petitioners 563 CXLVIII. The Petitioners, 564 CXLIX. The Lady Patroness, . . ... 567 CL. Mother and Son 570 CLI. The Two Oaths 574 CLII. New-fashioned Obsequies 578 CLIII. The Pope in Vienna, . .... 583 CLIV. The Flight 585 CLV. The Marriage Before God, 590 CLVI. The Park .591 CLVII. The Parting 594 CLVIII. Colonel Szekuly, 597 CLIX. The Pope's Departure, 601 CLX. The Repulse 607 CLXI. The Count in the Pillory 610 CLXII. The Nemesis 614 CLXIII. Horja and the Rebellion in Hungary, . . 617 CLXIV. The Jew's Revenge 619 CLXV. The Favor of Princes, 625 CLXVI. The Deputation from Hungary 629 CLXVH. The Recompense 683 CLXVni. The Rebellion in the Netherlands, . . .688 CLXIX. The Imperial Suitor 643 CLXX. The Last Dream of Love, . ■» . . .645 CLXXI. The Turkish War 649 CLXXII. Marriage and Separation 653 CLXXIII. The Last Dream of Glory 658 CLXXIV. The Hungarians Again, 663 CLXXV. The Revocation 667 CLXXVI. The Death of the Martyr 670 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. MAEIA THEEESA. CHAPTER I. THE CONFERENCE. In the council-chamber of the Empress Maria Theresa, the six lords, who composed her cabinet council, awaited the entrance of their imperial mistress to open the sitting. At this sitting, a great political question was to be discussed ; and its gravity seemed to be reflected in the faces of the lords, as, in low tones, they whispered together in the dim, spacious apart- ment, whose antiquated furniture of dark velvet tapestry corre- sponded well with the anxious looks of its occupants. In the centre of the room stood the Baron von Bartenstein and the Count von Uhlefeld,the two powerful statesmen who for thirteen years had been honored by the confidence of the empress. Together they stood, their consequence acknowledged by aU, while with proud and lofty mien, they whispered of state secrets. Upon the fair, smooth face of Bartenstein appeared an expres- sion of haughty triumph, which he was at no pains to conceal ; and over the delicate mouth of Von Uhlefeld fluttered a smile of ineffa- ble complacency. "I feel perfectly secure," whispered Von Bartenstein. "The empress will certainly renew the treaties, and continue the policy which we have hitherto pursued with such brilliant results to Austria. " "The empress is wise," returned Uhlefeld. "She can reckon uj)on our stanch support, and so long as she pursues this policy, we will sustain her. " While he spoke, there shot from his eyes such a glance of con- scious power, that the two lords who, from the recess of a neighbor- ing window, were watching the imperial favorites, were completely dazzled. "See, count," murmured one to the other, "see how Count Uhlefeld smiles to-day. Doubtless he knows already what the de- cision of the empress is to be ; and that it is in accordance with his wishes, no one can doubt who looks upon him now. " " It will be well for us, " replied Count CoUoredo, " if we subscribe unconditionally to the opinions of the lord chancellor. I, for my 3 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. part, will do so all the more readily, that I confess to you my utter ignorance of the question which is to come before us to-day. I was really so preoccupied at our last sitting that I — I failed exactly to comprehend its nature. I think, therefore, that it will be well for us to vote with Count von Uhlefeld — that is, if»the president of the Aulic Council, Count Harrach, does not entertain other opin- ions. " Count Harrach bowed. "As for me," sighed he, "I must, as usual, vote with Count Bartenstein. His will be, as it ever is, the decisive voice of the day ; and its echo will be heard from the lips of the empress. Let us echo them both, and so be the means of helping to crush the presumption of yonder crafty and arrogant courtier. " As he spoke he glanced toward the massive table of carved oak, around which were arranged the leathern arm-chairs of the mem- bers of the Aulic Council. Count Colloredo followed the glance of his friend, which, with a supercilious expression, rested upon the person to whom he alluded. This person was seated in one of the chairs, deeply absorbed in the perusal of the papers that lay before him upon the table. He was a man of slight and elegant propor- tions, whose youthful face contrasted singularly with the dark, manly, and weather-beaten countenances of the other members of the council. Not a fault marred the beauty of this fair face ; not the shadow of a wrinkle ruflQed the polish of the brow ; even the lovely mouth itself was free from those lines by which thought and care are wont to mark the passage of man through life. One thing, however, was wanting to this beautiful mask. It was devoid of expression. Those delicate features were immobile and stony. No trace of emotion stirred the compressed lips ; no shadow of thought flickered over the high, marble brow ; and the glance of those clear, light-blue eyes was as calm, cold, and unfeeling as that of a statue. This young man, with Medusa-like beauty, was Anthony Wenzel von Kaunitz, whom Maria Theresa had lately recalled from Paris to take his seat in her cabinet council. The looks of Harrach and Colloredo were directed toward him, but he appeared not to observe them, and went on quietly with his examination of the state papers. "You think, then, count," whispered Colloredo, thoughtfully, " that young Kaunitz cherishes the absurd hope of an alliance with France?" " I am sure of it. I know that a few days ago the French ambas- sador delivered to him a most affectionate missive from his friend the Marquise de Pompadour ; and I know too that yesterday he replied to it in a similar strain. It is his fixed idea, and that of La Pompadour also, to drive Austria into a new line of policy, by making her the ally of France. " Count Colloredo laughed. "The best cure that I know of for Uxed ideas is the madhouse," replied he, "and thither we will send little Kaunitz if " He ceased suddenly, for Kaunitz had slowly raised his eyes from the table, and they now rested with such an icy gaze upon the smil- ing face of Colloredo, that the frightened statesman shivered. "If he should have heard me !" murmured he. "If he " but the poor count had no further time for reflection ; for at that mo- ment the folding-doors leading to the private apartments of the THE CONFERENCE. 3 empress were thrown open, and the lord high steward announced the approach of her majesty. The councillors advanced to the table, and in respectful silence awaited the imperial enti-ance. The rustling of silk was heard ; and then the quick step of the Countess Fuchs, whose duty it was to accompany the empress to the threshold of her council-chamber, and to close the door be- hind her. And now appeared the majestic figure of the empress. The lords laid their hands upon their swords, and inclined their heads in rev- erence before the imperial lady, who with light, elastic step advanced to the table, while the Countess Fuchs noiselessly closed the door and returned. The empress smilingly acknowledged the salutation, though her smile was lost to her respectful subjects, who, in obedience to the strict Spanish etiquette which prevailed at the Austrian court, remained with their heads bent until the sovereign had taken her seat upon the throne. One of these subjects had bent his head with the rest, but he had ventured to raise it again, and he at least met the glance of royalty. This bold subject was Kaunitz, the youngest of the councillors. He gazed at the advancing empress, and for the first time a smile flitted over his stony features. And well might the sight of his sovereign lady stir the marble heart of Kaunitz ; for Maria Theresa was one of the loveliest women of her day. Though thirty- six years of age, and the mother of thirteen children, she was still beautiful, and the Austrians were proud to excess of her beauty. Her high, thoughtful forehead was shaded by a profusion of blond hair, which lightly powdered and gathered up behind in one rich mass, was there confined by a golden net. Her large, starry eyes were of that peculiar gray which changes with every emotion of the soul ; at one time seeming to be heavenly -blue, at another the dark- est and most flashing brown. Her bold profile betokened great pride ; but every look of haughtiness was softened away by the enchanting expression of a mouth in whose exquisite beauty no trace of the so-called " Austrian lip" could be seen. Her figure, loftier than is usual with women, was of faultless symmetry, while her graceful bust would have seemed to the eyes of Praxiteles the waking to life of his own dreams of Juno. Those who looked upon this beautiful empress could well realize the emotions which thirteen years before had stirred the hearts of the Hungarian nobles, as she stood before them ; and had wrought them up to that height of enthusiasm which culminated in the well- known shout of "morlamur pro eege nostro!" " Our king 1" cried the Hungarians, and they were right. For Maria Theresa, who with her husband, was the tender wife ; toward her children, the loving mother ; was in all that related to her em- pire, her people, and her sovereignty, a man both in the scope of her comprehension and the strength of her will. She was capable of sketching bold lines of policy, and of following them out without reference to personal predilections or prejudices, both of which she was fully competent to stifle, wherever they threatened interference with the good of her realm, or her sense of duty as a sovereign. 4 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. The energy and determination of her character were written upon the lofty brow of Maria Theresa ; and now, as she approached her councillors, these characteristics bearaed forth from her countenance with such power and such beauty, thstt ETaunitz himself was over- awed, and for one moment a smile lit up his cold features. No one saw this smile except the imperial lady, who had woke the Memnon into life ; and as she took her seat upon the throne, she slightly bent her head in return. Now, with her clear and sonorous voice, she invited her coun- cillors also to be seated, and at onpe reached out her hand for the memoranda which Count Bartenstein had prepared for her ex- amination. She glanced quickly over the papers, and laid them aside. " My lords of the Aulic Council, " said she, in tones of deep earnestness, " we have to-day a question of gravest import to discuss. I crave thereunto your attention and advice. We are at this sitting to de- liberate upon the future policy of Austria, and deeply significant will be the result of this day's deliberations to Austria's welfare. Some of our old treaties are about to expire. Time, which has somewhat moderated the bitterness of our enemies, seems also to have weakened the amity of our friends. Both are dying away ; and the question now before us is. Whether we shall extinguish enmity, or rekindle friendship? For seventy years past England, Holland, and Sardinia have been our allies. For three hundred years France has been our hereditary enemy. Shall we renew our alliance with the former powers, or seek new relations with the latter? Let me have your views, my lords. " With these concluding words, Maria Theresa waved her hand, and pointed to Count Uhlefeld. The loi'd chancellor arose, and with a dignified inclination of the head, responded to the appeal. " Since your majesty permits me to speak, I vote without hesita- tion for the renewal of our treaty with the maritime powers. For seventy years our relations with these powers have been amicable and honorable. In our days of greatest extremity — when Louis XIV. took Alsatia and the city of Strasburg, and his ally, the Turk- ish Sultan, besieged Vienna — when two powerful enemies threatened Austria with destruction, it was this alliance with the maritime powers and with Sardinia, which, next to the succor of the generous King of Poland, saved the Austrian empire from ruin. The brave Sobieski saved our capital, and Savoy held Lombardy in check, while England and Holland guarded the Netherlands, which, since the days of Philip II. , have ever been the nest of rebellion and revolt. To this alliance, therefore, we owe it that your majesty still reigns over those seditious provinces. To Savoy we are indebted for Lom- bardy ; while France, perfidious France, has not only robbed us of our territory, but to this day asserts her right to its possession ! No, your majesty — so long as France retains that which belongs to Austria, Austria will neither forgive her enmity nor forget it. See, on the contrary, how the maritime powers have befriended us ! It was their gold which enabled us first to withstand France, and after- ward Prussia — their gold that filled your majesty's coffers — their gold that sustained and confirmed the prosperity of your majesty's dominions. This is the alliance that I advocate, and with all my heart I vote for its renewal. It is but just tha the princes and rulers of the earth should give example to the world of good faith in their THE CONFERENCE. 5 dealings ; for the integrity of the Sovereign is a pledge to all nations of the integrity of his people. " Count Uhlefeld resumed his seat, and after him rose the power- ful favorite of the empress, Count Bartenstein, who, in a long and animated address, came vehemently to the support of Uhlefeld. Then came Counts Colloredo and Harrach, and the lord high steward, Count Klievenhiiller — all unanimous for a renewal of the old treaty. Not one of these rich, proud nobles would have dared to breathe a sentiment in opposition to the two powerful statesmen that had spoken before them. Bartenstein and Uhlefeld had passed the word. The alliance must continue with those maritime powers, from whose subsidies such imexampled wealth had flowed into the coffers of Austria, and — those of the lords of the exchequer I For, up to the times of which we write, it was a fundamental doctrine of court faith, that the task of inquiry into the accounts of the im- perial treasury was one far beneath the dignity of the sovereign. The lords of the exchequer, therefore, were responsible to nobody for their administration of the funds arising from the Dutch and English subsidies. It was natural, then, that the majority of the Aulic Council should vote for the old alliance. While they argued and voted, Kaunitz, the least important personage of them all, sat perfectly unconcerned, paying not the slightest attention to the wise deductions of his col- leagues. He seemed much occupied in straightening loose papers, mending his pen, and removing with his finger-tips the tiny specks that flecked the lustre of his velvet coat. Once, while Bartenstein was delivering his long address, Kaunitz carried his indifference so far as to draw out his repeater (on which was painted a portrait of La Pompadour, set in diamonds) and strike the hour ! The musical ring of the little bell sounded a fairy accompaniment to the deep and earnest tones of Bartenstein's voice ; while Kaunitz, seeming to hear nothing else, held the watch up to his ear and counted its strokes.* The empress, who was accustomed to visit the least mani- festiition of such inattention on the part of her councillors with open censure — the empress, so observant of form, and so exacting of its observance in others — ^seemed singularly indulgent to-day ; for while Kaunitz was listening to the music of his watch, his imperial mis- tress looked on with half a smile. At last, when the fifth orator had spoken, and it became the turn of Kaunitz to vote, Maria Theresa turned her flashing eyes upon him, with a glance of anxious and appealing expectation. As her look met his, how had all coldness and unconcern van- ished from his face ! How glowed his eyes with the lustre of great and world-swaying thoughts, as, rising from his chair, he returned the gaze of his sovereign witl. one that seemed to crave forbearance ! But Kaunitz had almost preternatural control over his emotions, and he recovered himself at once. "I cannot vote for a renewal of our worn-out alliance with the maritime powers, " said he, in a clear and determined voice. As he uttered these words, looks of astonishment and disapprobation were visible upon the faces of his colleagues. The lord chancellor con- tented himself with a contemptuous shrug and a supercilious smile. Kaunitz perceived it, and met both shrug and smile with undis- turbed composure, while calmly and slowly he repeated his offend- * VideKormayr, " Austrian Plutarch," vol. xii,, p. 352. 6 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COUET. ing words. For a moment he paused, as if to give time to his hearers to test the flavor of his new and startling language. Then, firm and collected, he went on : ■' Our alliance with England and Holland has long been a yoke and 8, humiliation to Austria. If, in its earlier days, this alliance ever afforded us protection, dearly have we paid for that protection, and we have been forced to buy it with fearful sacrifices to our na- tional pride. Never for one moment have these two powers allowed us to forget that we have been dependent upon their bounty for money and defence. Jealous of the growing power and influence of Austria, before whose youthful and vigorous career lies the glory of future greatness — jealous of our increasing wealth — jealous of the splendor of Maria Theresa's reign — ^these powers, whose faded laurels are buried in the grave of the past, have compassed sea and land to stop the flow of our prosperity, and sting the pride of our nationality. With their tyrannical commercial edicts, they have dealt injury to friends as well ."s foes. The closing of the Scheldt and Ehine, the Barrier treaty, and all the other restrictions upon trade devised by those crafty English to damage the traffic of other nations, all these compacts have been made as binding upon Austria as upon every other European power. Unmindful of their alliance with us, the maritime powers have closed their ports against our ships ; and while affecting to watch the Netherlands in our be- half, they have been nothing better than spies, seeking to discover whether our flag transcended in the least the limits of our own blockaded frontiers ; and whether to any but to themselves accrued the proflts of trade with the Baltic and North Seas. Vraiment, such friendship lies heavily upon us, and its weight feels almost like that of enmity. At Aix-la-Chapelle I had to remind the English ambas- sador that his un knightly and arrogant bearing toward Austria was unseemly both to the sex and majesty of Austria's empress. And our august sovereign herself, not long since, saw fit to reprove the insolence of this same British envoy, who in her very presence spoke of the Netherlands as though they had been a boon to Austria from England's clemency. Incensed at the tone of this representa- tive of our /riewds, the empress exclaimed: 'Am I not ruler in the Netherlands as well as in Vienna? Do I hold my right of empire from England and Holland?'" * " Yes, " interrupted Maria Theresa, impetuously, " yes, it is true. The arrogance of these royal traders has provoked me beyond aU bearing. I will no longer permit them to insinuate of my own im- perial rights, that I hold them as favors from the hand of any earthly power. It chafes the pride of an empress-queen to be called a friend and treated as a vassal ; and I intend that these proud allies shall feel that I resent their affronts !" It was wonderful to see the effect of these impassioned words upon the auditors of the empress. They quaked as they thought how they had voted, and their awe-stricken faces were pallid with fright. TJhlefeld and Bartenstein exchanged glances of amazement and dismay ; while the other nobles, like adroit courtiers, fixed their looks, with awakening admiration, upon Kaunitz, in whoro their experienced eyes were just discovering the rising luminary of a new political firmament. He, meanwhile, had inclined his head and smiled when the em- * Coxe, " History of the House of Austria," vol. v., p. 51. THE CONFERENCE. 7 press had fnterrupted him. She ceased, and after a short pause, Kaunitz resumed, with unaltered equanimity: "Your majesty has been graciously pleased to testify, in your own sovereign person, to the tyranny of our two northern allies. It remains, therefore, to speak of Sardinia alone — Sardinia, who held Lombardy in check. No sooner had Victor Amadeus put his royal signature to the treaty made by him with Austria, than he turned to his confidants and said (loud enough for us to hear him in Vienna) : 'Lombardy ia mine. I will take it, but I shall eat it up, leaf by leaf, like an arti- choke. ' And methinks his majesty of Sardinia has proved himself to be a good trencherman. He has already swallowed several leaves of his artichoke, in that he is master of several of the fairest prov- inces of Lombardy. It is true that this royal gourmand has laid aside his crown ; and that in his place reigns Victor Emanuol, of whom Lord Chesterfield, in a burst of enthusiasm, has said, that ' he never did and never will commit an act of injustice. ' Concede that Vic- tor Emanuel is the soul of honor ; still," added Kaunitz with a shake of the head, and an incredulous smile, " stiU — the Italian princes are abominable geographers — and they ai-e inordinately fond of ai-ti- chokes.* Now their fondness for this vegetable is as dangerous to Austria as the too-loving grasp of her northern allies, who with their friendly hands not only close their ports against us, but lay the weight of their favors so heavily upon our heads as to force us down upon our knees before them. What have we from England and Holland but their subsidies? And Austria can now afford to relinquish them — Austria is rich, powerful, prosperous enough to be allowed to proffer her friendship where it will be honorably re- turned. Austeia, then, must be freed from her oppressive alliance with the maritime powers. She has youth and vitality enough to shake off this bondage, and strike for the new path which shall lead her to greatness and glory. There is a moral and intangible great- ness, of whose existence these trading Englishmen have no concep- tion, but which the refined and elevated people of France are fully competent to appreciate. France extends to us her hand, and offers us alliance on terms of equality. Cooperating with France, we shall defy the enmity of all Europe. With our two-edged sword we shall turn the scales of future European strife, and make peace or war for other nations. France, too, is our natural ally, for she is our neighbor. And she is more than this, for she is our ally by the sacred unity of one faith. The Holy Father at Eome, who blesses the arms of Austria, will no longer look sorrowfully upon Austria's league with heresy. When apostolic France and we are one, the blessings of the Church will descend upon our alliance. Religion, therefore, as well as honest statesmanship, caU for the treaty with France. " " And I, " cried Maria Theresa, rising quickly from her seat, her eyes glowing with enthusiastic fire, " I vote joyfully with Count Kaunitz. I, too, vote for alliance with France. The count has spoken as it stirs my heart to hear an Austrian speak. He loves his fatherland, and in his devotion he casts far from him all thought of worldly profit or advancement. I tender him my warmest thanks, and I wiU take his words to heart. " Overcome with the excitement of the moment, the empress * Kaunitz's own words. Konnayi', " Austrian Plutarch," vol. xi. 2 8 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. reached her hand to Kaunitz, who eagerly seized and pressed it to his lips. Count Uhlefeld watched this extraordinary scene with astonish- ment and consternation. Bartenstein, bo long the favorite minister of Maria Theresa, was deadly pale, and his lips were compressed as though he were trying to suppress a hurst of rage. Harrach, Col- loredo, and IQievenhilUer hung their heads, while they turned over in their little minds how best to curry favor with the new minister. The empress saw nothing of the dismayed faces around her. Her soul was filled with high emotions, and her countenance beamed gloriously with the fervor of her boundless patriotism. " Every thing for Austria 1 My heart, my soul, my life, all are for my fatherland, " said Maria Theresa, with her beautiful eyes raised to heaven. "And now, my lords," added she, after a pause, " I must retire, to beg light and counsel from the Almighty. I have learned your different views on the great question of this day ; and when Heaven shall have taught me what to do, I will decide. " She waved her hand in parting salutation, and with her loftiest imperial bearing left the room. Until the doors were closed, the lords of the council remained standing with inclined heads. Then they looked from one to another with faces of wonder and inquiry. Kaunitz alone seemed unembarrassed ; and gathering up his papers with as much uncon- cern as if nothing had happened, he slightly bent his head and left the room. Never before had any member of the Aulic Council dared to leave that room until the lord chancellor had given the signal of de- parture. It was a case of unparalleled violation of court etiquette. Count Uhlefeld was aghast, and Bartenstein seemed crushed. Without exchanging a word, the two friends rose, and with eyes cast down, and faces pale with the anguish of that hour, together they left the coxmcil-chamber toward which they had repaired with hearts and bearing so -triumphant. CoUoredo and Harrach followed silently to the anteroom, and bowed deferentially as their late masters passed through. But no sooner had the door closed, than the two courtiers ex- changed malicious smiles. " Fallen favorites, " laughed Harrach. " Quenched lights which yesterday shone like suns, and to-day are burnt to ashes ! There is to be a soiree to-night at Bartenstein 's. For the first time in eleven years I shall stay away from Bartenstein 's soirees." "And I," replied CoUoredo, laughing, "had invited Uhlefeld for to-morrow. But, as the entertainment was all in his honor, I shall be taken with a sudden indisposition, and countermand my supper. " " That will be a most smnmary proceeding, " said Harrach. " I see that you believe the sun of Uhlefeld and Bartenstein has set forever. " " I am convinced of it. They have their death-blow. '' "And the rising sun? You think it will be called Kaimitz?" " Will be? It is called Kaunitz : so take my advice. Kaunitz, I know, is not a man to be bribed ; but he has two weaknesses — women and horses. You are, for the present, the favorite of La THE LETTER. 9 Fortina ; and yesterday you won from Count Esterhazy an Arabian, which Kaunitz says is the finest horse in Vienna. If I were you, I would present to him both my mistress and my horse. Who knows but what these courtesies may induce him to adopt you as a protege f " CHAPTER II, THE LETTEK. Feom her cabinet council the empress passed at once to her pri- vate apartments. When business was over for the day, she loved to cast the cares of sovereignty behind, and become a woman — chatting with her ladies of honor over the on dits of the court and city. During the hours devoted to her toilet, Maria Theresa gave herself up unreservedly to enjoyment. But she was so impetuous, that her ladies of honor were never quite secure that some little annoyance would not ruffle the serenity of her temper. The young girl whose duty it was to read aloud to the empress and dress her hair, used to declare that she would sooner wade through three hours' worth of Latin dispatches from Himgary, than spend one half hour aa im- perial hair-dresser. But to-day, as she entered her dressing-room, the eyes of the empress beamed with pleasure, and her mouth was wreathed with sunny smiles. The little hair-dresser was delighted, and with a responsive smile took her place, and prepared for her important duties. Maria Theresa glided into the chair, and with her own hands began to unfasten the golden net that confined her hair. She then leaned forward, and, with a pleased expression, contemplated the beautiful face that looked out from the silver-framed Venetian glass before which she sat. "Make me very charming to-day, Charlotte, " * said she. "Your majesty needs no help from me to look charming," said the gentle voice of the little tire- woman. " No hair-dresser had lent you her aid on that day when your Magyar nobles swore to die for you, and yet the world says that never'were eyes of loyal subjects dazzled by such beauty and such grace. " "Ah, yes, child, but that was thirteen years ago. Thirteen years ! How many cares have lain upon my heart since that day ! If my face is wrinkled and my hair grown gray, I may thank that hateful King of Prussia, for he is the cause of it all. " " If he has no greater sins to repent of than those two, " replied Charlotte, with an admiring smile, " he may sleep soundly. Your majesty's forehead is unruffled by a wrinkle, and your hair is as glossy and as brown as ever it was. " Brighter still was the smile of the empress, as she turned quickly round and exclaimed : "Then you think I have still beauty enough to please the emperor? If you do, make good use o^ it to-day, for I have something of importance to ask of him, and I long to find favor in his eyes. To work, then, Charlotte, and be quick, for—" At that moment, the silken hangings before the door of the dress- ing-room were drawn hastily aside, and the Countess Fuchs stepped forward. •Charlotte von Hieronymus was the mother of Caroline Pichler. 10 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. " Ah, countess, " continued the empress, " you are just in time for a cabinet toilet council. " But the lady of honor showed no disposition to respond to the gay greeting of her sovereign. With stiffest Spanish ceremony, she courtesied deeply. "Pardon me, your majesty, if I interrupt you," said she, solemnly, "but I have something to communicate to yourself alone. " "Oh, countess!" exclaimed Maria Theresa, anxiously, "you look as if you bore me sad tidings. But speak out — Charlotte knovrs as many state secrets as you do ; you need , not be reserved before ner. " " Pardon me, " again replied the ceremonious lady, with another deep courtesy, " I bring no news of state — I must speak with your majesty alone. " The eyes of the empress dilated with fear. " No state secret, " murmured she ; " oh, what can it be, then ? Go, Charlotte — go, child, and remain until I recall you. " The door closed behind the tire-woman, and the empress cried out : " Now we are alone — be quick, and speak out what you have to say. You have come to give me pain — I feel it. " " Your majesty ordered me, some time since, " began the countess in her low, unsympathizing tones, "to watch the imperial house- hold, so that nothing might transpire within it that came not to the knowledge of your majesty. I have lately watched the move- ments of the emperor's valet. " " Ah !" cried the empress, clasping her hands convulsively to- gether, " you watched him, and — " "Yes, your majesty, I watched him, and I was informed this morning that he had left the emperor's apartments with a sealed note in his hands, and had gone into the city." "No more — just yet," said the empress, with trembling lip. " Give me air ! I cannot breathe. " With wild emotion she tore open her velvet bodice, and heaving a deep sigh, signed to the countess to go on. "My spy awaited Gaspardi's return, and stopped him. He was forbidden, in the name of youi' majesty, to go farther. " "Goon." "He was brought to me, your majesty, and now awaits your orders. " " So that if there is an answer to the note, he has it, " said Maria Theresa, sharply. The countess bowed. "Where is he?" " In the antechamber, your majesty. " The empress bounded from her seat, and walked across the room. Iler face was flushed with anger, and she trembled in every limb. She seemed undecided what to do ; but at last she stopped suddenly, and blushing deeply, without looking at the countess, she said in a low voice, " Bring him hither. " The countess disappeared and returned, followed by Gaspardi. Maria Theresa strode impetuously forward, and bent her threat- ening eyes upon the valet. But the shrewd Italian knew better than to meet the lightning glance of an angry empress. With downcast looks and reverential obeisance he awaited her commands. " Look at me, Gaspardi, " said she, in tones that sounded in the valet's ears like distant thunaer. " Aaswer my questions, sir I" THE LETTER. 11 Gaspardi raised his eyes. " To whom was the note addressed that was given you by the emperor this morning?" " Your majesty, I did not presume to look at it, " replied Gas- pardi, quietly. " His imperial majesty was pleased to tell me where to take it, and that sufficed me. " "And whither did you take it?" " Imperial majesty, I have forgotten the house. " "What street, then?" "Pardon me, imperial majesty; these dreadful German names are too hard for my Italian tongue. As soon as I had obeyed his majesty's commands, I forgot the name of the street." " So that you are resolved not to tell me where you went with the emperor's note?" " Indeed, imperial majesty, I have totally forgotten. " The empress looked as if she longed to annihilate a menial who defied her so successfully. " I see, " exclaimed she, " that you are crafty and deceitful, but you shall not escape me. I command you, as your sovereign, to give up the note you bear about you for the emperor. I myself will deliver it to his majesty. " Gaspardi gave a start, and unconsciously his hand sought the place where the note was concealed. He turned very pale and stam- mered, " Imperial majesty, I have no letter for the emperor. " "You have it there!" thundered the infuriated empress, as with threatening hand she pointed to the valet's breast. " Deliver it at once, or I will call my lackeys to seai-oh you. " "Your majesty forces me then to betray my lord and emperor?" asked Gaspardi, trembling. " You serve him more faithfully by relinquishing the letter than by retaining it," returned' Maria Theresa, hastily. "Once more I command you to give it up. " Gaspardi heaved a sigh of anguish, and looked imploringly at the empress. But in the trembling lips, the flashing eyes, the flushed cheeks that m^t his entreating glance, he saw no symptoms of relenting, and he dared the strife no longer. His hand shook as he drew forth the letter. The empress uttered a cry, and with the fury of a lioness snatched the paper and crushed it in her hand. " Your majesty, " whispered the countess, "dismiss the valet be- fore he learns too much. He might — " " Woe to him if he breathes a word to one human being !" cried the empress, with menacing gesture. "Woe to him if he dare breathe one word to his master !" " Heaven forbid that I should betray the secrets of my sovereign I" cried the affrighted Gaspardi. " But, imperial majesty, what am I to say to my lord the emperor?" " You will tell your lord that you brought no answer, and it will not be the first lie with which you have befooled his imperial ears, " replied Maria Theresa contemptuously, while she waved her hand as a signal of dismissal. The unhappy Mercury retired, and as he disappeared, the pent-up anguish of the empress burst forth. "Ah, Margaretta," cried she, in accents of wildest grief, "what an unfortuijate woman I am I In all my life I have loved but one man I My heart, my soul, my every thought are his, and he robs 12 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. me, the mother of his children, of his love, and bestows it upon another 1" " Perhaps the inconstancy is but momentary, " replied the count ess, who burned to know the contents of the letter. " Perhaps there is no inconstancy at all. This may be nothing but an effort on the part of some frivolous coquette to draw our handsome emperor within the net of her guilty attractions. The note would show — " The empress scarcely heeded the words of her confidante. She had opened her hand, and was gazing upon the crumpled paper that held her husband's secret. " Oh !" murmured she, plaintively. " Oh, it seems to me that a thousand daggers have sprimg from this little j. aper, to make my heart's blood flow. Who is the foolhardy woman that would entice my husband from his loyalty to me ? Woe, woe to her when I shall have learned her name ! And I will learn it I" cried the unhappy wife. " I myself will take this letter to the emperor, arid he shall open it in my presence. I will have justice ! Adultery is a fearful crime, and fearful shall be its punishment in my realms. The name ! the name ! Oh, that I knew the name of the execrable woman who has dared to lift her treasonable eyes toward my husband !" " Nothing is easier than to learn it, your majesty, " whispered the countess, "squat like a toad, close to the ear of Eve"— "the letter will reveal it. " The empress frowned. Oh, for Ithuriel then 1 " Dost mean that I shall open a letter which was never intended to be read by me?" The countess pointed to the paper. " Your majesty has already broken the seal. You crushed it unintentionally. There remains but to unfold the paper, and every thing is explained. I will wage that it comes from the beautiful dancer Riccardo, whom the em- peror admired so much last night in the ballet, and whom he de- clared to be the most bewitching creature he had ever seen. " The eyes of the empress dropped burning tears, and, covering her face with her hands, she sobbed aloud. Then she seemed ashamed of her emotion, and raised her beautiful head again. "It is contemptible so to mourn for one who is faithless," said she. " It is for me to judge and to punish, and that will II It is my duty as ruler of Austria to bring crime to light. I will soon learn who it is that dares to exchange letters with the husband of the reigning empress. And after all, the speediest, the simplest way to do this, lies before me. I must open the letter, for justice' sake ; but I swear that I will not read one word contained within its pages. I will see the name of the writer alone ; and then I can be sure that curiosity and personal interest have not prompted me. " And BO Maria Theresa silenced her scruples, and persuaded her- self that she was compelled to do as the tempter had suggested. She tore open the note ; but true to her self-imposed vow, she paused on the threshold of dishonor, and read nothing but the writer's name. "Riccardo!" cried she, wildly. "You were right, Margaretta; an intrigue with the Riccardo. The emperor has written to her — the emperor, my husband 1" She folded the fatal letter, and oh, how her white hands trembled as she laid it upon the table ! and how deadly pale were the cheeks that had flushed with anger when Gaspardi had been by I, The countess was not deceived by this phase of the empress's THE LETTER. 13 frief . She knew that the etorm would burst, and she thought it etter to divide its wrath. She stepped lightly out to call the con- fessor of her victim. Maria Theresa was unconscious of being alone. She stood before the table staring at the letter. Gradually her paleness vanished, and the hue of anger once more deepened on her cheeks. Her eyes, which had just been drooping with tears, flamed again with indig- nation ; and her expanded nostrils, her twitching mouth, and her heaving chest, betrayed the fury of the storm that was raging within. "Oh, I will trample her under foot!" muttered she between her teeth, while she raised her hand as if she would fain have dealt a death-stroke. "I will prove to the court — to the empire — to the world, how Maria Theresa hates vice, and how she punishes crime, without respect of persons. Both criminals shall feel the lash of justice. If my woman's heart break, the empress shall do her duty. It shall not be said that lust holds its revels in Vienna, as at the obscene courts of Versailles and St. Petersburg. No I Nor shall the libertines of Vienna point to the Austrian emperor as their model, nor shall their weeping wives be taunted with reports of the indul- gence of the Austrian empress. Morality and decorum shall prevail in Vienna. The fire of my royal vengeance shall consume that bold harlot, and then — then for the emperor 1" "Your majesty will never consent to bring disgrace upon the father of your imperial children, " said a gentle voice close by, and, turning at the sound, the empress beheld her confessor. She advanced hastily toward Father Porhammer. " How I" ex- claimed she angrily, "how ! — you venture to plead for the emperor? You come hither to stay the hand of justice?" "I do indeed," replied the father, "for to-day at least, her hand, if uplifted against the emperor, must recoil upon the empress. The honor of my august sovereigns cannot be divided. Your majesty must throw the shield of your love over the fault of your imperial husband. " " Oh, I cannot ! I cannot suffer this mortal blow in silence, " sobbed the empress. " Nay, " said the father, smiling, " the wife may be severe, though the empress be clement. " "But she, father — must she also be pardoned? she who has en- ticed my husband from his conjugal faith?" "As for the Ricoardo, " replied Father Porhammer, "I have heard that she is a sinful woman, whose beauty has led many men astray. If your majesty deem her dangerous, she can be made to leave Vienna ; but let retribution go no further. " "Well, be it so," sighed the empress, whose heart was already softening. " You are right, reverend father, but La Riccardo shall leave Vienna forever. " So saying, she hastened to her escritoire, and wrote and signed the order for the banishment of the danseuse. "There," cried she, handing the order to the priest, "I pray you, dear father, remit this to Count Bartenstein, and let him see that she goes hence this very day. And when I shall have laid this evil spirit, perchance I may find peace once more. But, no, no !" con- tinued she, her eyes filling with tears ; " when she has gone, some other enchantress will come in her place to charm my husband's 14 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. love away. Oh, father, if chastity is not in the heart, sin will always find entrance there. " " Yes, your majesty ; and therefore should the portals of the heart be ever guarded against the enemy. As watchmen are appointed to guard the property, so are the servants of God sent on earth to ex- tend the protection of Heaven to the hearts of your people. " " And why may I not aid them in their holy labors ?" exclaimed the empress, glowing suddenly with a new interest. " Why may I not appoint a committee of good and wise men to watch over the morals of my subjects, and to warn them from temptation, ere it has time to become sin? Come, father, you must aid me in this good work. Help me to be the earthly, as the Blessed Virgin is the heavenly mother of the Austrian people. Sketch me some plan whereby I may organize my scheme. I feel sure that your sugges- tions will be dictated by that Heaven to which you have devoted your whole life. " " May the spirit of counsel and the spirit of wisdom enligten my understanding, " said the father, with solemn fervor, " that I may worthily accomplish the mission with which my empress has in- trusted me !" " But, your majesty, " whispered the Countess Fuchs, " in your magnaniraous projects for your people, you are losing sight of your- self. The Eiccardo has not yet been banished ; and the emperor, seeing that no answer is coming to his note, may seek an interview. "Who can guess the consequences of a meeting?" The empress shivered, as the countess probed the wounds herself had made in that poor, jealous heart. " True, true, " returned she, in an unsteady voice. " Go, father, and begin my work of reform, by casting out that wicked woman from among the unhappy wives of Vienna. I myself will announce her departure to the emperor. And now, dear friends, leave me. You, father, to Count Bartenstein. Countess, recall Charlotte, and send me my tire- women. Let the princes and princesses be regally attired to-day. I will meet the emperor in their midst. " The confessor bowed and retired, and the countess opening the door of the inner dressing-room, beckoned to Charlotte, who, in the recess of a deep bay-window, sat wearily awaiting the summons to return. CHAPTER III. THE TOILET OF THE EMPRESS. So dark and gloomy was the face of the empress, that poor Char- lotte's heart misgave her, as with a suppressed sigh she resumed her place, and once more took down the rich masses of her sovereign lady's hair. Maria Theresa looked sternly at the reflection of her little maid of honor's face in the glass. She saw how Charlotte's hands trembled, and this increased her ill-humor. Again she raised her eyes to her own image, and saw plainly that anger was unbe- coming to her. The flush on her face was not rosy, but purple ; and the scowl upon her brow was fast deepening into a wrinkle. Her bosom heaved with a heavy, heavy sigh. " Ah, " thought she, " if I am ever again to find favor in his eyes, THE TOILET OF THE EMPRESS. 15 I must always smile; for smiles are the last glowing tints of beauty's sunset. And yet, how can I smile, when my heart is breaking? He said that the Riceardo was the loveliest woman he had ever seen. Alas ! I remember the day when he knelt at my feet, and spoke thus of me. Oh, my Franz 1 Am I indeed old, and no longer lovable?" In her anxiety to scrutinize her own features, the empress bent suddenly forward, and the heavy mass of puffs and braids that formed the coiffure she had seleced for the day, gave way. She felt the sharp points of the hair-pins in her head, and, miserable and nervous as she was, they seemed to wound her cruelly. Starting from her chair, she poured forth a torrent of reproaches upon Char- lotte's head, who, pale and trembling more than ever, repaired the damage, and placed among the braids a bouquet of white roses. These white roses deepened the unbecoming redness of the empress's face. She perceived this at once, and losing all self-control, tore the flowers from her hair, and dashed them on the floor. " You are aU leagued against me, " cried she, indignantly. " You are trying your best to disfigure me, and to make me look old before my time. Who ever saw such a ridiculous structure as this head- dress, that makes me look like a perambulating castle on a chess- board ? Come, another coiffum, and let it not be such a ridiculous one as this. " Charlotte, of coui-se, did not remind her mistress that the coiffure and roses had been her own se'.ection. She had nothing to do but to obey in silence, and begin her work again. At last the painful task \^ as at an end. The empress looked keenly at herself in the glass, and convinced that she really looked well, she called imperatively for her tire-women. In came the procession, bearing hooped-skirt, rich-embroidered train, golden- flowered petticoat, and bodice flashing with diamonds. But the empress, usually so affable at her toilet, surveyed both maids and apparel with gloomy indifference. In moody silence she reached out her feet, while her slippers were exchanged for high-heeled shoes. Not a look had she to bestow upon the magnificent dress which enhanced a thousandfold her mature beauty. Without a word she dismissed the maids of honor, all except Charlotte, whose crowning labor it was to give the last touch to the imperial head when the rest of the toilet had been declared to be complete. Again Maria Theresa stood before that high Venetian glass, and certainly it did give back the image of a regal beauty. For a while she examined her costume from head to foot ; and at last — at last, her beautiful blue eyes beamed bright with satisfaction, and a smile rippled the comers of her mouth. " No, " said she, aloud. " No, it is not so. I am neither old nor ugly. The light of youth has not yet fled from my brow. My beauty's sun has not yet set forever. My Franz will love me still ; and however charming younger women may be, he will remember the beloved of his boyhood, and we will yet be happy in reciprocal affection, come what may to us as emperor and empress. I do not believe that he said he had never seen s.o lovely a woman as Ric- eardo. Poor, dear Franz ! He has a tedious life as husband of the reigning sovereign. From sheer ennui he sometimes wanders from his wife's heart, but oh 1 he must, he must return to me ; for if I were to lose him, earthly splendor would be valueless to me forever 1" Charlotte, who stood behind her mistress with the comb in her 16 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. hand, was dismayed at all that she heard ; and the plaintive tones of this magnificent empress, at whose feet lay a world of might, touched her heart's core. But she sickened as she thought that her presence had been unheeded, and that the empress had fancied her- self alone, while the secrets of her heart were thus sti-uggling into words. The ample train completely screened little Charlotte from view, and a deadly paleness overspread her countenance as she awaited discovery. Suddenly the empress turned, and putting her hand tenderly on Charlotte's head, she said, in a voice of indescribable melancholy : " Be warned, Charlotte, and if you marry, never marry a man who has nothing to do. Men will grow inconstant from sheer eunui. " * " I never expect to marry, beloved mistress, " said the young girl, deeply touched by this confidence. " I wish to live and die in your majesty's service." " Do you ? And can you bear for a lifetime with my impatience, dear child?" asked the empress, kissing the little devotee on the forehead. "' You know now, my little Charlotte, why I have been so unkind to-day ; you know that my heart was bleeding with such anguish, that had I not broken out in anger, I must have stifled with agony. You have seen into the depths of my heart, and why should I not confide in you, who know every secret of my state-council? No one suspects what misery lies under the regal mantle. And I care not to exhibit myself to the world's pity. When Maria Theresa weeps, let her God and those who love her be the witnesses of her sorrow. Go, now, good little Charlotte, and forget every thing except your sovereign's love for you. 'Tell the governess of the Archduke Ferdinand to bring him hither. Let the other imperial children await me in my reception-room ; and tell the page in the anteroom to announce to his majesty that I request the honor of a visit from him. " Charlotte, once more happy, left the room, her heart filled with joy for herself, and gentle sorrow for her sovereign. Meanwhile the empress thought over the coming interview. " I will try to recall him to me by love," murmured she, softly. "I will not reproach him, and although as his empress I have a double claim upon his loyalty, I will not appeal to any thing but his own dear heart ; and when he hears how he has made his poor Theresa suffer, I know — " Here her voice failed her, and tears filled her eyes. But she dashed them quickly away, for steps approached, and the governess entered, with the infant prince in her arms. CHAPTER IV. HUSBAND AND WIFE. A HALF an hour later, the princes and princesses of Austria were all assembled in their mother's private parlor. They were a beauti- ful group. The empress, in their midst, held little Ferdinand in her arms. Close-peeping through the folds of their mother's rich dress, were three other little ones ; and a few steps farther were the Archduchesses Christine and Amelia. Near the open harpsichord * Maria Theresa's words. See Caroline Piohler, " Memoirs of My Life." HUSBAND AND WIFE. 17 stood the graceful form of the empress's eldest child, the Princess Elizabeth, who now and then ran her fingers lightly over the in- strument, while she awaited the arrival of her father. In the pride of her maternity and beauty stood the empress-queen ; but her heart throbbed painfully, though she smiled upon her chil- dren. The page announced the coming of the emperor, and then left the room. The empress made a sign to her eldest daughter, who seated herself before the harpsichord. The door opened, and on the threshold appeared the tall, elegant form of the Emperor Francis. Elizabeth began a brilliant " Welcome, " and all the young voices joined in one loud chorus, " Long live our emperor, our sovereign, and our father !" sang the children ; but clear above them all were heard the sonorous tones of the mother, exclaiming in the fulness of her love, " Long live my emperor, and my husband I" As if every tender chord of Maria Theresa's heart had been struck, she broke forth into one of Metastasio's most passionate songs ; while Eliza- beth, catching the inspiration, accompanied her mother with sweet- est melody. The empress, her little babe in her arms, was wrapped up in the ecstasy of the moment. Never had she looked more en- chanting than she did as she ceased, and gave one look of love to her admiring husband. The emperor contemplated for a moment the lovely group before him, and then, full of emotion, came forward, and bending over his wife, he kissed the round white arm that held the baby, and whispered to the mother a few words of rapture at her surpassing beauty. " But teU me, gracious empress, " said he, aloud, " to what am I indebted for this charming surprise?" The eyes of the empress shot fire, but in lieu of a reply, she bent down to the little Archduchess Josepha, who was just old enough to lisp her father's name, and said : " Josepha, tell the emperor what festival we celebrate to-day. " The little one, turning to her father, said, "To-day is imperial mamma's wedding-day." "Our wedding-day 1" murmured the emperor, "and I could for- get it !" " Oh, no ! my dear husband, " said the empress, " I am sure that you cannot have forgotten this joyous anniversary. Its remem- brance only slumbered in your heart, and the presence of your chil- dren here, I trust, has awakened that remembrance, and carried you back with me to Hie happy, happy days of our early love. " The voice of the wife was almost tearful, as she spoke those ten- der words ; and the emperor, touched and humbled at the thought of his own oversight, sought to change the subject. " But why, " asked he, looking around, "why, if all our other children are here to greet their father, is Joseph absent from this happy family gathering?" " He has been disobedient and obstinate again, " said the empress, with a shrug of her shoulders, "and his preceptor, to punish him, kept him away. " The emperor walked to the door. "Surely," exclaimed he, "on such a day as this, when all my dear children are around me, my son and the future emperor should be the first to bid me welcome. " " Stay, my husband, " cried the empress, who had no intention of allowing the emperor to escape so easily from his embarrassment. 18 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COUKT. " You must be content to remain with us, without the future em- peror of Germany, whose reign, I hope I may be allowed to pray, is yet for some years postponed. Or is this a happy device of the future emperor's father to remind me, on my wedding-day, that I am growing old enough to begin to think of the day of my decease?" The emperor was perfectly amazed. Although he was accus- tomed to such outbursts on the part of his wife, he searched vainly in his heart for the cause of her intense bitterness to-day. He looked his astonishment; and the empress, mindful of her resolve not to reproach him, tried her best to smile. The emperor shook his head thoughtfully as he watched her face, and said half aloud : " All is not right with thee, Theresa ; thou smilest like a lioness, not like a woman. " " Very well, then, " said she sharply, " the lioness has called you to look upon her whelps. One day they will be lions and lionesses too, and in that day they will avenge the injuries of their mother. " The empress, as she spoke, felt that her smothered jealousy was bursting forth. She hastily dismissed her children, and going her- self to the door, she called for the governess of the baby, and almost threw him in her arms. " I foresee the coming of a storm, " thought the emperor, as the door being closed, Maria Theresa came quickly back, and stood be- fore him. " And is it indeed true, " said she bitterly, " that you had forgot- ten your wedding-day? Not a throb of your heart to remind you of the past !" "My memory does not cling to dates, Theresa," replied the em- peror. "What, if to-day be accidentally the anniversary of our marriage? With every beating of my heart, J celebrate the hour itself, when I won the proud and beautiful heiress of Austria ; and when I remember that she deigned to love me, the poor Archduke of Lorraine, my happiness overwhelms me. Come, then, my beau- tiful, my beloved Theresa ; come to my heart, that I may thank you for all the blessings that I owe to your love. See, dearest, we are alone ; let us forget royalty for to-day, and be happy togeUier in all the fulness of mutual confidence and affection. " So saying, he would have pressed her to his heart, but the em- press drew coldly back, and turned deadly pale. This unembar- rassed and confident tenderness irritated her beyond expression. That her faithless spouse should, without the slightest remorse, act the part of the devoted lover, outraged her very sense of decency. " Really, my husband, it becomes yOu well to prate of confidence and affection, who have ceased to think of your own wife, and have eyes alone for the wife of another !" " Again jealous ?" sighed the emperor wearily. " Will you never cease to cloud our domestic sky by these absurd and groundless suspicions?" "Groundless!" cried the empress, tearing tbe letter violently from her bosom. "With this proof of your guilt confronting you, you will not dare to say that I am jealous without cause !" "Allow me to inquire of your majesty, what this letter is to prove?" " It proves that to-day you have written a letter to a woman, of whom yesterday you said that she was the most beautiful woman in the world. " HUSBAND AND WIFE. 19 "I have no recollection of saying such a thing of any woman ; and I am surprised that your majesty should encourage your attend- ants to repeat such contemptible tales, " replied the emperor, with some bitterness. "Were I like you, the reigning sovereign of a great empire, I should really find no time to indulge in gossip and scandal. "- " Your majesty will oblige me by refraining from any comment upon affairs which do not concern you. I alone am reigning em- press here, and it is for my people to judge whether I do my duty to them ; certainly not for you, who, while I am with my ministers of state, employ your leisure hours in writing love-letters to my sub- jects. " "I? I write a love-letter?" said the emperor. "How dare you deny it?" cried the outraged empress. "Have you also forgotten that this morning you sent Gaspardi out of the palace on an errand?" " No, I have not forgotten it, " replied the emperor, with growing astonishment. But Maria Theresa remarked that he looked con- fused, and avoided her eye. "You confess, then, that you sent the letter, and requested an answer?" "Yes, but I received no answer," said the emperor, with em- barrassment. "There is your answer," thundered the enraged wife. "I took, it from Gaspardi myself. " "And is it possible, Theresa, that you have read a letter addressed to me?" asked the emperor, in a severe voice. The empress blushed, and her eyes sought the ground. " No, " said she, " I have not read it, Franz. " "But it is open,'' persisted he, taking it from his wife's hand. "Who, then, has dared to break the seal of a letter addressed to me?" And the emperor, usually so mild toward his wife, stood erect, with stormy brow and eyes flashing with anger. Maria Theresa in her tm-n was surprised. She looked earnestly at him, and confessed inwardly that never had she seen him look so handsome ; and she felt an inexplicable and secret pleasure that her Franz, for once in his life, was really angry with her. " I broke the seal of the letter, but I swear to you that I did not read one word of it, " replied she. " I wished to see the signature only, and that signature was enough to convince me that I had a faithless husband, who outrages an empress by giving her a dancer as her rival !" "The signature convinced you of this?" asked the emperor. "It did r "And you read nothing else?" ' "Nothing, I tell you." • " Then, madam, " returned he, seriously, handing the letter back to her, " do me the favor to read the whole of it. After breaking the seal, you need not hesitate. I exact it of you. " The empress looked overwhelmed. "You exact of me to read a love-letter addressed to you?" " Certainly I do. You took it from my valet, you broke it open, and now I beg you will be so good as to read it aloud, for I have not yet read it myself. " 20 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. "I will read it, then," cried the empress, scornfully. "And I promise you that I shall not suppress a word of its contents." "Read on," said the emperor, quietly. The empress, with loud and angry tone, began: " To his Gracious Majesty, the Emperor: "Your majesty has honored me by asking my advice upon a sub- ject of the highest importance. But your majesty is much nearer the goal than I. It is true that my gracious master, the count, led me to the vestibule of the temple of science, but further I have not penetrated. What I know I wiU joyfully impart to your majesty; and joyfully will I aid you in your search after that which the whole world is seeking. I will come at the appointed hour. "Your majesty's loyal servant, " RiOCAEDO." " I do not understand a word, '' said the mystified empress. " But I do, " returned the emperor, with a meaning smile. " Since your majesty has thrust yourself into the portals of my confidence, I must e'en take you with me into the penetralia, and confess at once that I have a passion, which has cost me many a sleepless night, and has preoccupied my thoughts, even when I was by your majesty's side." " But I see nothing of love or passion in this letter, " replied Maria Theresa, glancing once more at its singular contents. "And yet it speaks of nothing else. I may just as well confess, too, that in pursuit of the object of my love, I have spent three hun- dred thousand guilders, and thrown away at least one hundred thousand guilders' worth of diamonds. " "Your mistress must be either very coy or very grasping, " said Maria Theresa, almost convulsed with jealousy. " She is very coy, " said the emperor. " All my gold and dia- monds have won me not a smile — she will not yield up her secret. But I believe that she has responded to the love of one happy mortal, Count Saint-Germain. " " Count Saint-Germain !" exclaimed the empress, amazed. "Himself, your majesty. He is one of the fortunate few, to whom the coy beauty has succumbed ; and to take his place I would give millions. Now, I hoard yesterday that the confidant of the count was in Vieima ;_and, hoping to learn something from him, I invited him hither. Signor Riccardo — " "Signor Riccardo ! Was this letter written by a man?" " By the husband of the dancer. " "And your letter was addressed to him?" " Even so, madame. " "Then this 'passion of which you speak is your old passion — alchemy. " "Yes, it is. I had promised you to give it up, but it proved stronger than I. Not to annoy you, I have ev^r since worked secretly in my laboratory. I have just conceived a new idea. I am about to try the experiment of consolidating small diamonds into one large one, by means of a burning-glass. " The empress answered this with a hearty, happy laugh, and went up to her husband with outstretched bands. " Franz, " said she, " I am a simpleton ; aud all that has been f er- HUSBAND AND WIFE. 21 mentlng In my heart is sheer nonsense. My crown does not prevent me from being a silly woman. But, my heart's love, forgive my folly for the sake of my affection." Instead of" responding to this appeal, the emperor stood perfectly still, and gazed earnestly and seriously at his wife. "Your jealousy, " said he, after a moment's silence, "I freely forgive, for it is a source of more misery to you than to me. But this jealousy has attacked my honor as a man, and that I cannot for- give. As reigning empress, I render you homage, and am content to occupy the second place in Austria's realms. I will not deny that such a rdle is irksome to me, for I, like you, have lofty dreams of ambition ; and I could have wished that, in giving me the title, you had allowed me sometimes the privileges of a co-regent. But I have seen that my co-regency irritated and annoyed you ; I have, therefore, renounced all thought of governing empires. I have done this, not only because I love you, Theresa, but because you are worthy by your intellect to govern your people without my help. In the world, therefore, I am known as the husband of the reigning empress ; but at home I am lord of my own household, and here I reign supreme. The emperor may be subordinate to his sovereign, but the man will acknowledge no superior ; and the dignity of his manhood shall be respected, even by yourself. " " Heaven forbid that I should ever seek to wound it 1" exclaimed Maria Theresa, while she gazed with rapture upon her husband's noble countenance, and thought that never had he looked so hand- some as at this moment, when, for the first time, he asserted his authority against herself. " You have wounded it, your majesty, " replied the emperor, with emphasis. " You have dogged my steps with spies ; you have suf- fered my character to be discussed by your attendants. You have gone so far as to compromise me with my own servants ; forcing them to disobey me by virtue of your rights as sovereign, exercised in opposition to mine as your husband. I gave Gaspardi orders to deliver Eiccardo's note to me alone. I forbade him to tell any one whither he went. You took my note from him by force, and com- mitted the grave wrong of compelling a servant, hitherto faithful, to disobey and betray his master." " I did indeed wrong you, dear Franz, " said the empress, already penitent. "In Gaspardi 's presence I will ask your pardon for my indelicate intrusion, and before him I will bear witness to his fidelity. I alone was to blame. I promise you, too, to sin no more against you, my beloved, for your love is the brightest jewel in my crown. Without it, no happiness would grandeur give to me. Forgive me, then, my own Franz — forgive your unhappy Theresa !" As she spoke, she inclined her head toward her husband, and looked up to him with such eyes of love, that he could but gaze en- raptured upon her bewitching beauty. "Come, Franz, come!" said she tenderly; "surely, that wicked jest of yours has amply revenged you. Be satisfied with having given me a heartache for jealousy of the coy mistress upon whom you have wasted your diamonds, and be magnanimous. " "And you, Theresa? — will you be magnanimous also? Will you leave my servants and my letters alone, and set no more spies to dog my steps ?" "Indeed, Franz, I wiU never behave as I have done to-day, while 33 JOSEPH 11. AND HIS COURT. we both live. Now, if you will sign my pardon, I will tell you a piece of news with which I intend shortly to surprise all Austria. " " Out with it, then, and if it is good news I sign the pardon, " said the emperor, with a smile. " It is excellent news, " cried the empress, " for it will give new life to Austria. It will bring down revenge upon our enemies, and revenge upon that wicked infidel who took my beautiful Silesia from me, and who, boasting of his impiety, calls it enlightenment. " " Have you not yet forgiven Frederick for that little bit of Silesia that he stole from you?" asked the emperor, laughing. " No, I have not yet forgiven him, nor do I ever expect to do so. I owe it to him, that, years ago, I came like a beggar before the Magyars to whimper for help and defence. I have never yet forgot- ten the humiliation of that day, Franz. " "And yet, Theresa, we must confess that Frederick is a great man, and it were well for Austria if we were allies ; for such an alliance would secure the blessings of a stable peace to Europe. " " It cannot be, " cried the empress. "There is no sympathy be- tween Austria and Prussia, and peace will never come to Europe until one succumbs to the other. No dependence is to be placed upon alliances between incongruous nations. In spite of our allies, the English, the Dutch, and the Russians, the King of Prussia has robbed me of my province ; and all the help I have ever got from them was empty condolence. For this reason I have sought for alliance with another power — a power which will cordially unite with me in crushing that hateful infidel, to whom nothing in life is sacred. This is the news that I promised you. Our treaty with England and Holland is about to expire, and the new ally I have found for Austria is France. " " An alliance with France is not a natural one for Austria, and can never be enduring, " exclaimed the emperor. * " It mil be enduring, " cried Maria Theresa, proudly, " for it is equally desired by both nations. Not only Louis XV. , but the Mar- quise de Pompadour is impatient to have the treaty signed. " " That means that Kaunitz has been flattering the marquise, and the marquise, Kaunitz. But words are not treaties, and the mar- quise's promises are of no consequence whatever." " But, Franz, I tell you that we have gone further than words. Of this, however, no one knows, except the King of France, myself, Kaunitz, and the marquise. " " How in the world did you manage to buy the good-will of the marquise? How many millions did yoti pay for the precious boon?" " Not a kreutzer, dear husband, only a letter. " " Letter ! Letter from whom ?" " A letter from me to the marquise. " " What !" cried the emperor, laughing. " You write to La Pom- padour — you, Theresa?" "With my own hand, I have written to her, and more than once, " returned Maria Theresa, joining in the laugh. " And what do you suppose I did, to save my honor in the matter? I pretended to think that she was the wife of the king, and addressed her as 'Madame, ma soeur et cousine. '" Here the emperor laughed immoderately. " Well, well 1" ex- * The emperor's own words. Coxe, " History of the House of Austria," vol. v., p. 67. THE ARCHDUKE JOSEPH. 23 claimed he. " So the Empress-Queen of Austria and Hungary writes with her own hand to her beloved cousin La Pompadour !" "And do you know what she calls me?" laughed the empress in return. " Yesterday I had a letter from her in which she calls me, sportively, 'Ma cMre reine. '" The emperor broke out into such a volley of laughter, that he threw himself back upon a chair, which broke under him, and the empress had to come to his assistance, for he was too convulsed to get up alone. * "Oh dear! oh dear!" groaned the emperor, still continuing to laugh. "I shall die of this intelligence. Maria Theresa in corre- spondence with Madame d'Etioles !" "Well, what of it, Franz?" asked Maria Theresa. "Did I not write to the prima donna Farinelli when we were seeking alliance with Spain? and is the marquise not as good as a soprano singer?" f The emperor looked at her with such a droll expression that she gave up all idea of defending herself from ridicule, and laughed as heartily as he did. At this moment a page knocked, and announced the Archduke Joseph and his preceptor. "Poor lad!" said the emperor; "I suppose he comes, as usual, accompanied by an accuser. " CHAPTER V. THE ARCHDUKE JOSEPH. The emperor was right ; Father Francis came in with complaints of his highness. While the father with great pathos set forth the reason of the archduke's absence from the family circle, the culprit stood by, apparently indifferent to all that was being said. But, to any one observing him closely, his tremulous mouth, and the short, convulsive sighs, which he vainly strove to repress, showed the real anxiety of his fast-beating heart. He thrust back his rising tears, for the little prince was too proud to crave sympathy ; and he had already learned how to hide emotion by a cold and haughty bearing. From his childhood he had borne a secret sorrow in his heart — the sorrow of seeing his young brother Carl preferred to him- self. Not only was Carl the darling of his parents, but he was the pet and plaything of the whole palace. True, the poor little arch- duke was not gifted with the grace and charming naivete of his brother. He was awkward, serious, and his countenance wore an expression of discontent, which was thought to betray an evil dis- position, but which, in reality, was but the reflection of the heavy sorrow which clouded his young heart. No one seemed to under- stand — no one seemed to love him. Alone in the midst of that gay and splendid court, he was never noticed except to be chided. if The buds of his poor young heart were blighted by the mildew of neglect, so that outwardly he was cold, sarcastic, and sullen, while inwardly he glowed with a thousand emotions, which he dared reveal to no one, for no one seemed to dream that he was capable of feeling them. * Historical. +The empress's own words. Coxe, vol. v., p. 69. JHubner, "Life of Joseph II., "page 15. 3 24 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COUET. To-day, as usual, he was brought before his parents as a culprit ; and without daring to utter a word in his own defence, he stood by, while Father Francis told how many times he had yawned over the "Lives of the Martyrs;" and how he had refused to read, longer than one hour, a most edifying commentary of the Fathers on the Holy Scriptm-es. The empress heard with displeasure of her son's lack of piety ; and she looked severely at him, while he gazed sullenly at a portrait that hung opposite. " And can it be, my son, " exclaimed she, " that you close your heart against the word of God, and refuse to read religious books?" The boy gave her a glance of defiance. " I do not know, " said he, carelessly, " whether the books are religious or not ; but I know that they are tiresome, and teach me nothing. " "Gracious Heaven!" cried the empress, with horror, "hear the impious child !" " Rather, your majesty, " said Father Francis, " let us pray Heaven to soften his heart. " The emperor alone said nothing ; but he looked at the boy with a friendly and sympathizing glance. The child saw the look, and for one moment a flush of pleasure passed over his face. He raised his eyes with an appealing expression toward his father, who could no longer resist the temptation of coming to his relief. "Perhaps," suggested he, "the books may be dull to a child of Joseph's years." " No book, " returned the empress, " should be dull that treats of God and of His holy Church. " " And the work, your majesty, which we were reading, was a most learned and celebrated treatise, " said Father Francis ; " one highly calculated to edify and instruct youth. " Joseph turned away from the father, and spoke to the emperor. " We have already gone through five volumes of it, your majesty, and I am tired to death of it. Moreover, I don't believe half that I read in his stupid books. " The empress, as she heard this, uttered a cry of pain. She felt an icy coldness benumb her heart, as she remembered that this un- believing boy was one day to succeed her on the throne of Austria. The emperor, too, was pained. By the deadly paleness of her face, he guessed the pang that was rending his wife's heart, and he dared say no more in defence of his son. " Your majesty sees, " continued Father Francis, " how far is the heart of his highness from God and the Church. His instructors are gi'ieved at his precocious unbelief, and they are this day to confer together upon the painful subject. The hour of the conference is at hand, and I crave your majesty's leave to repair thither." " No, " said the empress, with a deprecating gesture ; "no. Re- main, good father. Let this conference he held in the presence of the emperor and myself. It is fitting that we both know the worst in regard to our child. " The emperor bowed acquiescence, and crossing the room, took a seat by the side of the empress. He rang a little golden bell ; and the page who came at the sum- mons, was ordered to request the attendance of the preceptors of his highness the Crown Prince of Austria. THE ARCHDUKE JOSEPH. 25 Maria Theresa leaned her head upon her hand, and with a sad and perplexed countenance watched the open door. The emperor, with his arm thrown over the gilded back of the divan, looked ear- nestly at the young culprit, who, pale, and with a beating heart, was trying his best to suppress his increasing emotion. " I will not cry, " thought he, scarcely able to restrain his tears ; " for that would be a triumph for my detestable teachers. I am not going to give them the pleasure of knowing that I am miser- able." And, by dint of great exertion, he mastered his agitation. He was so successful, that he did not move a muscle nor turn his head when the solemn procession of his accusers entered the room. First, at the head, came Father Porhammer, who gave him les- sons in logic and physic ; after him walked the engineer Briguen, professor of mathematics ; then Herr von Leporini, who instructed him in general history ; Herr von Bartenstein, who expounded the political history of the house of Austria ; Baron von Beck, who was his instructor in judicature ; and finally, his governor. Count Bathiany, the only one toward whom the young prince felt a grain of good-will. The empress greeted them with grave courtesy, and exhorted them to say without reserve before his parents what they thought of the progress and disposition of the archduke. Count Bathiany, with an encouraging smile directed toward his pupil, assured their majesties that the archduke was anxious to do right^not because he was told so to do by others, but because he followed the dictates of his own conscience. True, his highness would not see thi-ough the eyes of any other person ; but this, though it might be a defect in a child, would be the reverse in a man — above all, in a sovereign. " In proof of the archduke's sincere desire to do right," continued Count Bathiany, "allow me to repeat to your majesties something which he said to me yesterday. We were reading together Bellegarde on knowledge of self and of human nature. The beautiful thoughts of the author so touched the heart of his highness, that, stopping suddenly, he exclaimed to me, 'We must read this again ; for when I come to the throne I shall need to know, not only myself, but other men also. ' " "Well said, my son !" exclaimed the emperor. "I cannot agree with your majesty," said the empress, coldly. "J do not think it praiseworthy for a child of his age to look for- ward with complacency to the day when his mother's death will confer upon him a throne. To me it would seem more natural if Joseph thought more of his present duties and less of his future honors. " A breathless silence followed these bitter words. The emperor, in confusion, withdrew behind the harpsichord. The archduke looked perfectly indifferent. While Count Bathiany had been repeating his words, his face had slightly flushed ; but when he heard the sharp reproof of his mother, he raised his head, and gave her back another defiant look. With the same sullen haughtiness, he stared first at one accuser, and then at another, while each one in his turn ga,ve judgment against him. First, and most vehement in his denuncia- tions, was Count Bartenstein. He denounced the archduke as idle and inattentive. He never would have any political sagacity what- ever. Why, even the great work, in fifteen folios, which he (Count 26 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. Bartenstein) had compiled from the imperial archives for the especial instruction of the prince, even that failed to interest him ! * , Then followed the rest of their professorships. One complained of disrespect ; another of carelessness ; a third of disobedience ; a fourth of irreligion. All concurred in declaring the archduke to be obstinate, unfeeling, and intractable. His face, mean-while, grew paler and harder, until it seemed almost to stiffen into marble. Although every censorious word went like a dagger to his sensitive heart, he still kept on murmur- ing to himself, " I will not cry, I will not cry. " His mother divined nothing of the agony which, like a wild tornado, was desolating the fair face of her child's whole being. She saw nothing beyond the portals of that cold and sullen aspect, and the sight filled her with sorrow and anger. " Alas, " cried she, bitterly, " you are right ! He is a refractory and unfeeling boy. " At this moment, like the voice of a conciliatory angel, were heard the soft tones of the melody with which the empress had greeted her husband that morning. It was the emperor, whose hands seemed unconsciously to wander over the keys of the harpsi- chord, while every head bent entranced to listen. When the first tones of the heavenly melody fell upon his ear, the young prince began to tremble. His features softened ; his lips, so scornfully compressed, now parted, as if to drink in every sound ; his eyes filled with tears, and every angry feeling of his heart was hushed by the magic of music. With a voice of love it seemed to call him, and unable to resist its power and its pathos, he burst into a flood of tears, and with one bound reached his father's arms, sobbing — "Father, dear father, pity me !" The emperor drew the poor boy close to his heart. He kissed his blond curls, and whispering, said : " Dear child, I knew that you were not heartless. I was sure that you would come when your father called. " The empress had started from her seat, and she now stood in the centre of the room, earnestly gazing upon her husband and her child. Her mother's heart beat wildly, and tears of tenderness suffused her eyes. She longed to speak some word of pardon to her son; but before all things, Maria 'Theresa honored court ceremony. She would not, for the world, that her subjects had seen her other- wise than self-possessed and regal in her bearing. With one great effort she mastered her emotions ; and before the strength of her will, the mighty flood rolled back upon her heart. Not a tear that glistened in her eyelids fell ; not a tone of her clear, silvery voice was heard to falter. " Count Bathiany, " said she, " I perceive that in the education of the archduke, the humanizing influences of music have been over- looked. Music to-day has been more powerful with him than filial love or moral obligation. Select for him, then, a skilful teacher, who will make use of his art to lead my son back to duty and religion. " f * Hormajer says that this book was heavy and filled with tiresome details. (No wonder I In fifteen folios.— Trans.) t IVIaria Theresa's own words. Coxe, " House of Austria," vol. v. KAUNITZ. 27 CHAPTER VI. KAUNITZ. Three weeks had elapsed since the memorahle sitting at which Maria Theresa had declared in favor of a new line of policy. Three long weeks had gone by, and still no message came for Kaunitz ; and still Bartenstein and Uhlefeld held the reins of power. With hasty steps, Kaunitz paced the floor of his study. Gone was all coldness and impassibility from his face. His eyes glowed with restless fire, and his features twitched nervously. His secretary, who sat before the writing-table, had been gazing anxiously at the count for some time. He shook his head gloomily, as he contemplated the strange sight of Kaunitz, agitated and dis- turbed. Kaunitz caught the eye of his confidant, and coming hastily toward the table, he stood for a few moments without speaking a word. Suddenly he burst into a loud, harsh laugh — a laugh so bitter, so sardonic, that Baron Binder turned pale as he heard the sound. "Why are you so pale, Binder?" asked Kaunitz, still laughing. "Why do you sta,rt as if you had received an electric shock?" " Your laughing is like an electric shock to my heart, " replied the baron. " Its sound was enough to make a man pale. Why, for ten years I have lived under your roof, and never have I heard you laugh before." " Perhaps you are right. Binder, for in sooth my laugh echoes gloomily within the walls of my own heart. But I could not help it — you had such a droll, censorious expression on your face. " " No wonder, " returned Baron Binder. " It vexes me to see a statesman so irresolute and unmanned. " " Statesman !" exclaimed Kaunitz, bitterly. " Who knows whether my rdle of statesman is not played out already?" He resumed his walk in moody silence, while Binder followed him with his eyes. Suddenly Kaunitz stopped again before the table. " Baron, " said he, " you have known me intimately for ten years. In all my embassies you have been with me as attaoM. Since we have lived together, have you ever known me to be faint- hearted?" " Never !" cried the baron, " never I I have seen you brave the anger of monarchs, the hati-ed of enemies, the treachery of friends and mistresses. I have stood by your side in more than one duel, and never before have I seen youotherwise than calm and resolute. " "Judge, then, how sickening to me is this suspense, since, for the first time in my life, I falter. Oh I I tremble lest—" "Lest what?" asked the baron, with interest. " Binder, I fear that Maria Theresa may prove less an empress than a woman. I fear that the persuasions of the handsome Francis of Lorraine may outweigh her own convictions of right. What if her husband's caresses, her confessor's counsel, or her own feminine caprice, should blind her to the welfare of her subjects and the in- terest of her empire? Oh, what a giant structure will fall to the earth, if, at this crisis, the empress should fail me ! Think what a triumph it would be to dash aside my rivals and seize the helm of 28 JOSEPH 11. AN1> HIS COURT. state ! to gather, upon the deck of one stout ship, all the paltry prin- cipalities that call themselves 'Austria ;' to band them into one con- solidated nation ; and then to steer this noble ship into a haven of greatness and glorious peace ! Binder, to this end alone I live. I have outlived all human illusions. I have no faith in love — it is bought and sold. No faith in the tears of men ; none in their smiles. Society, to me, is one vast mad house. If, in its frenzied walls, I show that I am sane, the delirious throng will shout out, ' Seize the lunatic !' Therefore must I seem as mad as they, and therefore it is that, outside of this study, I commit a thousand follies. In such a world I have no faith ; but, Binder, I believe in divine ambition. It is the only passion that has ever stirred my heart — the only pas- sion worthy to fill the soul of a man I My only love, then, is ambi- tion. My only dream is of power. Oh ! that I might eclipse and outlive the names of my rivals ! But alas ! alas ! I fear that the greatness of Kaunitz will be wrecked upon the shoals of Maria Theresa's shallowness !" " No, no, " said the baron vehemently. " Fear nothing, Kaunitz ; you are the man who is destined to make Austria great, and to dis- perse the clouds of ignorance that darken the minds of her people. " " You may be sure that if ever I attain power. Binder, nor church nor churchman shall have a voice in Austria. Kaunitz alone shall reign. But will Maria Theresa consent 1 Will she ever have strength of mind to burst the shackles with which silly love and silly devo- tion have bound her? I fear not. Religion — " Here the door opened, and the count's valet handed a card to the secretary. "A visit from Count Bartenstein 1" exclaimed the baron trium- phantly. "Ah! I knew— " "Will you receive him here, in the study?" " I will receive him nowhere, " replied Kaunitz coldly. " Say to the count, " added he to the valet, " that I am engaged, and beg to be excused. " "What! You deny yourself to the prime minister?" cried Bin- der, terrified. Kaunitz motioned to the servant to withdraw. "Binder," said he exultingly, "do you not see from this visit that my day is about to dawn, and that Bartenstein is the first lark to greet the rising sun? His visit proves that he feels a presenti- ment of his fall, and my rebuff shall verify it. The whole world will understand that when Bartenstein was turned away from my door, I gave old Austria, as well as himself, a parting kick. Away with anxiety and fear ! The deluge is over, and old Bartenstein has brought me the olive-branch that announces dry land and safety. " "My dear count!" " Yes, Binder, dry land and safety. Now we will be merry, and lift our head high up into clouds of Olympic revel ! Away with your deeds and your parchments ! We are no longer bookworms, but butterflies. Let us sport among the roses !" While Kaunitz spoke, he seized a hand-bell from the table, and rang vehemently. " Make ready for me in my dressing-room, " said he to the valet. "Let the cook prepare a costly dinner for twenty persons. Let the steward select the rarest wines in the cellar. Tell him to see that the Champagne is not too warm, nor the Johannisberg too cold ; the THE TOILET. 29 Sillery too dry, nor the Lachryma Christi too acid. Order two car- riages, and send one for Signora Ferlina, and the other for Signora Sacco. Send two footmen to Counts Harrach and CoUoredo, with my compliments. Stay— here is a list of the other guests. Send a messenger to the apartments of my sister, the countess. Tell her, with my respects, to oblige me by dining to-day in her own private rooms. I will not need her to preside over my dinner-table to- day." " But, my lord, " stammered the valet, " the countess — " "Well— what of her?" " The countess has been de — gone for a week. " "Gone, without taking leave? Where?" " There, mj"- lord, " replied the valet in a low voice, pointing up- ward toward heaven. "What does he mean. Binder?" asked Kaunitz, with a shrug. Binder shrugged responsive. "The good countess," said he, "had been ill for sometime, but did not wish to disturb you. You must have been partially pre- pared for the melancholy event, for the countess has not appeared at table for three weeks. " "Me? Not at all. Do you suppose that during these last three weeks I have had time to think of her? I never remai'ked her ab- sence. When did the — the — ceremony take place?" "Day before yesterday. I attended to every thing. " " My dear friend, how I thank you for sparing me the sight of these hideous rites ! Yoiu- arrangements must have been exqui- site, for I never so much as suspected the thing. Fortunately, it is all over, and we can enjoy ourselves as usual. Here, Philip. Let the house look festive : flowers on the staircases and in the entrance- hall ; oranges and roses in the dining-room ; vanilla-sticks in the coffee-cups instead of teaspoons. Away with you !" The valet bowed, and when he was out of hearing Kaunitz re- newed his thanks to the baron. " Once more, thank you for speeding my sister on her journey, and for saving me all knowledge of this unpleasant affair. How glad the signoras will be to hear that the countess has positively gone, never to return I Whom shall I get to replace her? Well, never mind now ; some other time w^e'U settle that little matter. Now to nay toilet. " He bent his head to the baron, and with light, elastic step passed into his dressing-room. CHAPTER VII. THE TOILET. When Kaunitz entered his dressing-room, his features had re- sumed their usual immobility. He walked in, without seeming to be aware of the presence of his attendants, who, ranged on either side of the apartment, awaited his commands. He went up to his large Venetian mirror, and there surveyed himself at full length. With anxious glance his keen eyes sought out every faint line that told of the four-and- thirty years of his life. The picture seemed deeply interesting, for he stood a long time 30 JOSEPH 11. AND HIS COURT, before the glass. At last the scrutiny was ended, and he turned slightly toward the hair-dresser. " Is the peruke ready ?" The hair-dresser fluttered off to a bandbox, that lay on the toilet-table ; and lifted out a fantastic-looking blond peruke, con- structed after "his excellency's own design." Kaunitz was not aware of it, but this wig of his, with its droll mixture of flowing looks before, and prim purse behind, was an exact counterpart of the life and character of its inventor. He had had no intention of being symbolic in his contrivance ; it had been solely designed to conceal the little tell-tale lines that were just about to indent the smooth surface of his white forehead. He bent his proud head, while the hair- dresser placed the wonderful wig, and then fell to studying its effect. Here he drew a curl forward, there he gently removed another ; placing each one in its position over his eyebrows, so that no treacherous side-light should reveal any thing he chose to hide. Finally the work was done. " Hippolyte, " said he, to the hair -dresser, who stood breathlessly by, "this is the way in which my wig is to be dressed from this day forward. " * Hippolyte bowed low, and stepped back to give place to the valets who came in with the count's costume. One bore a rich habit em- broidered with gold, and the other a pair of velvet-shorts, red stock- ings, and diamond-buckled shoes. "A simpler habit — Spanish, without embroidery, and white stockings. " White stockings I The valets were astounded at such high treason against the court regulations of Vienna. But Kaunitz, with a slight and contemptuous shrug, ordered them a second time to bring him white stockings, and never to presume to bring any other. " Now, go and await me in the puderkammer. " f The valets backed out as if in the presence of royalty, and the eccentric statesman was left with his chief valet. 'The toilet was completed in solemn silence. Then, the count walked to the mirror to take another look at his adored person. He gave a complaisant stroke to his ruff of richest Alengon, smoothed the folds of his habit, carefully arranged the lace frills that fell over his white hands, and then turning to his valet he said, " Powder-mantle. " The valet unfolded a little package, and, with preter-careful hands, dropped a long white mantle over the shoulders of the min- isterial coxcomb. Its light folds closed around him, and, with an Olympian nod, he turned toward the door, while the valet flew to open it. As soon as the count appeared, the other valets, who, with the hair-dresser, stood on either side of the room, raised each one a long brush dipped in hair-powder, and waved it to and fro. Clouds of white dust filled the room ; while through the mist, with grave and deliberate gait, walked Kaunitz, every now and then halting, when the brushes all stopped ; then giving the word of command, they all fell vigorously to work again. Four times he went through the farce, and then, grave as a ghost, walked back to his dressing- room, followed by the hair-dresser. At the door, the chief valet carefully removed the powder-mantle, and for the third time Kaunitz turned to the mirror. Then he * From this time Kaunitz wore his wig in this eccentric fashion. It was adopted by the exquisites ofVienna, and called "the Kaunitz peruke." t Literally, " Dowder-room," THE TOILET. 31 carefully wiped the powder from his eyes, and, with a smile of ex- treme satisfaction he turned to the hair-dresser. "Confess, Hippolyto, that nothing is more beautifying than powder. See how exquisitely it lies on the front ringlets, and how airily it is disti-ibuted over the entire peruke. Vraiment, I am proud of my invention. " Hippolyte protested that it was worthy of the godlike intellect of his excellency, and was destined to make an era in the annals of hair-dressing. " The annals of hair-dressing, " replied his excellency, " are not to be enriched with any account of my method of using powder. If ever I hear a word of this discovery breathed outside of these rooms, I dismiss the whole pack of you. Do you hear?" Down went the obsequious heads, while Kaunitz continued, with bis fine cambric handkerchief, to remove the last specks of powder from his eyelids. When he had sufficiently caressed and admired himself, he went to the door. It opened, and two valets, who stood outside, presented him, one with a jewelled snuff-box, the other with an embroidered handkerchief. A large brown dog, that lay oouchant in the hall, rose and followed him, and the last act of the daily farce was over. The count passed into his study, and going at once to the table, he turned over the papers. " No message yet from the empress, " said he, chagrined. "What if Bartenstein's visit was not a politic, but a triumphant one ? What a — " Here the door opened, and Baron Binder entered. "Your excel- lency, " said he, smiling, " I have taken upon myself to bear you a message which your servants declined to bring. It is to announce a visitor. The hour for reception has gone by, but he was so urgent, that I really could not refuse his entreaties that you might be told of his presence. Pardon my officiousness, but you know how soft- hearted I am. I never could resist importunity. " " Who is your suppliant friend V" "Count Bartenstein, my lord." " Bartenstein ! Bartenstein back already !" exclaimed Kaunitz, — exultingly. "And he begged — he begged for an interview, you say?" " Begged ! the word is faint to express his supplications. " " Then I am not mistaken !" cried Kaunitz, with a loud, trium- phant voice ; " if Bartenstein begs, it is all over with him. Twice in my anteroom in one day ! That is equivalent to a message from the empress. " And Kaunitz, not caring to dissimulate with Binder, gave vent to his exceeding joy. "And you will be magnanimous — ^you will see him, will you not?" asked Binder, imploringly. "What for?" asked the heartless statesman. "If he means busi- ness, the council -chamber is the place for that; if he comes to visit me — 'I beg to be excused. '" " But when I beg you, for my sake, count, " persisted the good- natured baron ; " the sight of fallen greatness is such a painful one ! How can any one add to it a feather's weight of anguish?" Kaunitz laid his hands upon the broad shoulders of his friend, and in his eye there kindled something like a ray of affection. "Grown-up child, your heart is as soft as if it had never been breathed upon by the airs of this wicked world. Say no more about 33 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COUET. Bartenstein, and I will reward your interest in his misfortune by making you his successor. You shall be state referendarius your- self. Come along, you chicken-hearted statesman, and let us play a game of billiards. " " First, " said Binder, sadly, " I must deliver my painful message to Count Bartenstein. " " Bah ! the page can be sent to dismiss him. " " But there is no reason why we should keep the poor man waiting. " "Him, the poor man, say you? I remember the day when I waited in his anteroom, and as I am an honest man, I shall pay him with interest, Come along, my dear future state referendarius. " CHAPTEE VIII. THE RED STOCKINGS. At Kaimitz's dinner-table on that day revelry reigned trium- phant. No jest was too bold for the lips of the men ; and if per- chance upon the cheeks of their beautiful companions there rose the slightest flush of womanly shame, the knights of the revel shouted applause, and pealed forth their praises in wildest dithyrambios. With glowing faces and eyes of flame they ate their highly-spiced viands, and drank their fiery wines, until all restraint was flung aside, and madness ruled the hour. The lovely Ferlina, whom Kaunitz had placed next to himself, was beautiful as Grecian Phryne ; and Sacco, who was between her adorers, Harrach and Colloredo, was bold and bewitching as Lais. The odor of flowers — the sound of distant music, every thing that could intoxicate the senses, was there. It' was one of those orgies which Kaunitz alone knew how to devise, and into which all the lesser libertines of Vienna longed to be initiated ; for once admitted thei'e, they were graduates in the school of vice. The guests were excited beyond control, but not so the host. He who invoked the demon that possessed the rest, sat perfectly col- lected. With the coolness of a helmsman he steered the flower- laden bark of voluptuousness toward the breakers, while he befooled its passengers with visions of fatal beauty. The feast was at an end, and as Kaunitz reviewed the faces of the company, and saw that for the day their passions were weary from indulgence, he said to himself, with diabolical calmness : " Now that they have exhausted every other pleasure, we will sharpen the blunted edge of desire with gambling ! When the life of the heart is burnt to ashes, it will still revive at the chink of gold. " " To the gaming-table, friends, to the gaming-table !" cried he. And the dull eyes grew bright, while the guests followed him to the green-covered table, which stood at the farther ond of the dining- room. Kaunitz took from a casket a heap of gold, while La Ferlina gazed upon it with longing sighs. Harrach and Colloredo poured showers from their purses, and Sacco looked from one to the other with her most ineffable smiles. Kaunitz saw it all, and as he threw the dice into the golden dice-box, he muttered, " Miserable worms, ye think yourselves gods, and are the slaves of a little fiend, whose name is Gold I" THE RED STOCKINGS. 33 As he raised the dice-box, the door opened, and his first valet appeared on the threshold. " Pardon me, your excellency, that I presume to enter the room. But there is a messenger from the empress, and she begs your ex- cellency's immediate attendance. " With an air of consummate indifference, Kaunitz replaced the dice on the table. "My carriage," was his reply to the valet ; and to his guests, with a graceful inclination, he said, " Do not let this interrupt you. Count Harrach will be my banker. In this casket are ten thoiisand florins — I go halves with the charming Ferlina. " Signora Ferlina could not contain herself for joy, and in the exuberance of her gratitude, she disturbed some of the folds of Kaunitz's lace ruflf. Kaunitz was furious ; but, without changing a muscle, he went on. " Farewell, my lords — farewell, ladies ! I must away to the post of duty. " Another bend of the head, and he disappeared. The valets and hair-dresser were already buzzing around his dressing-room with court-dress and red stocking, but Kaunitz waved them all away, and called Hippolyte to arrange a curl of his hair that was dis- placed. The chief valet, who had been petrified with astonishment, now came to life ; and advanced, holding in his hand the rich court- dress. " Pai'don, your excellency ; but my lord the count is about to have an audience with her imperial majesty?" " I am, " was the cm-t reply. "Then your excellency must comply with the etiquette of the empress's court, which requires the full Spanish dress, dagger, and red stockings. " "Must?" said Kaunitz contemptuously. "Fool! From this day, no one shall say to Count Kaunitz, 'Must. ' Bear that in mind. Hand me my muff. " "Muff, my lord?" echoed the valet. "Yes, fool, my hands are cold." The valet looked out of the window, where flamed the radiance of a June sun, and with a deep sigh for the waywardness of his master, handed the muff. Kaunitz thrust in his hands, and slowly left the room, followed by the dog, the valets, and the hair-dresser. Every time his excel- lency went out, this procession came as far as the carriage-door, to see that nothing remained imperfect in his toilet. With the mu£E held close to his mouth, for fear a breath of air should enter it, Kaunitz passed through the lofty corridors of his house to his state- carriage. The dog wished to get in, but he waved her gently back, saying : " No, Phasdra, not to-day. I dare not take you there. " The caniage rolled off, and the servants looked after in dumb consternation. At last the first vaJet, with a malicious smile, said to the others : "I stick to my opinion— he is crazy. Who but a madman would hope to be admitted to her imperial majesty's presence without red stockings and a dagger?" Hippolyte shook his head. " No, no, he is no madman ; he is ' only a singular genius, who knows the world, and snaps his fingers at it." 34 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. The valet was not far from right. The simple dress, white stock- ings, and the absence of the dagger, raised a commotion in the palace. The page in the entrance-hall was afraid to announce the count, and he rushed into the anteroom to consult the marshal of the im- perial household. The latter, with his sweetest smile, hastened to meet the indignant count. " Have the goodness, my lord, " said Kaunitz imperiously, " not to detain me any longer. The empress has called me to her pres- ence ; say that I am here. " "But, count," cried the horror-stricken marshal, "you cannot seriously mean to present yourself in such a garb. Doubtless you have forgotten, from absence of mind, to array yourself as court etiquette exacts of her majesty's servants. If you will do me the favor to accompany me to my own apartments, I will with great pleasure supply the red stockings and dagger. " Count Kaunitz shrugged his shoulders disdainfully. "Her maj- esty sent for me, not for my red stockings ; therefore, please to announce me. " The marshal retreated, in his surprise, several steps. " Never, " cried he indignantly, "never would I presume to do so unheard-of a thing! Such a transgression of her majesty's orders is inadmis- sible. " "Very well," replied Kaunitz coolly, "I shall then have the pleasure of announcing myself. " He passed by the marshal and dismayed page, and was advanc- ing to the door that led to the imperial apa.rtments. "Hold! hold!" groaned the marshal, whose consternation was now at its height. " That were too presuming ! Since her majesty has commanded your attendance, I will do my duty. I leave it to yourself, my lord, to excuse your own boldness, if you can carry it so far as to attempt a justification of your conduct. " He bowed, and passed into the next room ; then into the cabinet of the empress, whence he returned with word for Count Kaunitz to enter. CHAPTEE IX. NEW AUSTRIA. The empress received the count with a most gracious smile. "You are late, " she said, reaching out her hand for him to kiss. "I came very near not reaching your majesty's presence at all, for those two wiseacres in the anteroom refused me entrance, be- cause I had neither red stockings nor a dagger. " The empress then perceived the omission, and she frowned. " Why did you present yourself here, without them ?" asked she. " Because, your majesty, I detest red stockings ; and I really can- not see why I should be compelled to wear any thing that is so distasteful to me. " Maria Theresa was so surprised, that she scarcely knew what reply to make to the argument ; so Kaunitz continued : " And as for the dagger, that is no emblem of my craft. I am not a soldier, but a statesman ; my implement is the crowquill. " NEW AUSTRIA. 35 "And the tongue," replied the empress, "for you certainly know how to use it. Let us dismiss the dagger and red stockings, then, and speak of your pen and your tongue, for I need them both. I have well weighed the matters under consideration, and have taken counsel of Heaven and of my own conscience. I hope that my de- cision will be for the best. " Count Kaunitz, courtier though he was, could not repress a slight shiver, nor could he master the paleness that overspread his anxious face. The empress went on : "I have irrevocably decided. I abide by what I said in council. A new day shall dawn upon Austria, — God grant that it prove a happy one ! Away, then, with the old alliance ! we offer our hand to France, and you shall conduct the negotiations. I appoint you lord high chancellor in the place of Count Uhlefeld. And you owe me some thanks, for I assure you that, to carry out my opposition to my ministers, I have striven with countless dif- ficulties. " "I thank your majesty for resolving upon an alliance with France, " said Kaunitz, earnestly ; " for I do believe that it will con- duce to Austria's welfare. " " And do you not thank me for making you prime minister, or is the appointment unwelcome?" " I shall be the happiest of mortals if I can accept ; but that ques- tion is for your majesty to decide. " The empress colored, and looked displeased, while Kaunitz, " himself again, " stood composed and collected before her. " Ah, " said she, quickly, " you wish me to beg you to accept the highest office in Austria ! Do you think it a favor you do me to be- come my prime minister, Kaunitz?" " Your majesty, " replied Kaunitz in his soft, calm tones, " I think not of myself, but of Austria that I love, and of you, my honored empress, whom I would die to serve. But I must know whether it will be allowed me to serve my empress and my fatherland as I can and will serve them both. " " What do you mean ? Explain yourself. " " If I am to labor in your behalf, my empress, I must have free hands, without colleagues by my side, to discuss my plans and plot against them. " " Ah !" said the empress, smiling, " I understand. You mean Bartenstein and Counts Harrach and CoUoredo. Ti-ue, they are your rivals. " " Oh, your majesty, not my rivals, I hope. " " Well, then, your enemies, if you like that better, " said the em- press. "I shall not chain you together, then. I will fijid other places wherewith to compensate them for their past services, and you may find other colleagues. " " I desire no colleagues, your majesty, " replied Kaunitz, " I wish to be prime and only minister. Then together we will weld Aus- tria's many dependencies into one great empire, and unite its gov- ernments under one head. " "Yours, count?" asked Maria Theresa, in a slight tone of irony. "Yours, my sovereign. Whatever you may think, up to this moment you have not reigned supreme in Austria. By your side have Bartenstein and Uhlefeld reigned like lesser emperors. Is not 36 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. Lombardy governed by its own princes, and does not the Viceroy of Hungary make laws and edicts, which are brought to you for sig- nature?" " Yes, I am truly hemmed in on every side. But I see no remedy for the evil — I cannot govern everywhere. Hungary and Lombardy have their own constitutions, and must have their own separate governments. " " So long as that state of things lasts, neither Hungary nor Lom- bardy will be portions of the Austrian empire, " said Kaunitz. " There is no remedy, Kaunitz, " returned Maria Theresa ; " I have thought these difficulties over and over. My arm is too short to reach to the farthest ends of my realms, and I must be content to delegate some of my power. One hand cannot navigate the ship of state. " "But one head can steer it, your majesty, and one head can direct the hands that work it. " " And will the count be one of my hands ?" " Yes, indeed, your majesty. But the fingers must be subject to this hand, and the hand will then carry out, in all security, the plans of its august head, the empress. " " You mean to say that you wish to be alone as my minister?" " If I am truly to serve your majesty, it must be so. Let not the sovereignty of Austria be frittered away in multitudinous rivu- lets ; gather it all in one full, fertilizing stream. One head and one hand over Austria's destiny, and then will she grow independent and all-powerful." " But, man, " cried the empress, " you cannot sustain the burden you covet !" "I will have ample help, your majesty. I will seek ready hands and willing hearts that believe in me, and will do my behests. These must not be my coadjutors, but my subalterns, who think through me, and work for me. If your majesty will grant me this privilege, then I can serve Austria. I know that I am asking for high prerogatives ; but for Austria's sake, Maria Theresa will dare every thing ; and together we will accomplish the consolidation of her disjecta membra into one great empire. The policy which con- ducts our financial affairs must emanate from yoiu'self, and our foreign policy must be bold and frank, that friends and foes may both know what we mean. We must coffin and bury old Austria with the dead that sleep on the battle-grounds of lost Silesia ; and from her ashes we must build a new empire, of which Hungary and Lombardy shall be integral parts. Hand in hand with France, we will be the lawgivers of all Europe ; and when, thanks to our thrift and the rich tribute of our provinces, we pay our national debt, then we may laugh at English subsidies and Dutch commerce. And lastly, we will cast our eyes once more upon Silesia, and methinks if France and Austria together should demand restitution of King Frederick, he will scarcely be so rash as to say nay. The ministers of Louis XV. , who were adverse to our alliance, are about to retire, and the Duke de Choiseul, our firm friend and the favorite of Mme. de Pompadour, will replace Eichelieu. Choiseul seeks our friend- ship, and the day of our triumph is dawning. Such, your majesty, are my dreams for Austria ; it rests with you to make them reali- ties !" The empress had listened with increasing interest to every word NEW AUSTRIA. 37 that Kaunitz had spoken. She had risen from her seat, and was pacing the room in a state of high excitement. As he ceased she stopped in front of him, and her large, sparkling orbs of blue glowed with an expression of happiness and hope. '■ I believe that you are the man for Austria, " said she. " I be- lieve that togetlier we can carry out our plans and projects. God grant that they be righteous and just in His sight ! You have read my heart, and you know that I can never reconcile myself to the loss of Silesia. You know that between me and Frederick no harmony can ever exist ; no treaty can ever be signed to which he is a party.* I will take the hand of France, not so much for love of herself as for her enmity to Prussia. Will you work with me to make war on Frederick if I appoint you sole minister, Kaunitz? For I tell you that I burn to renew my strife with the King of Prus- sia, and I would rather give him battle to-day than to-morrow. " f "I comprehend your majesty's feelings, and fully share them. As soon as France and ourselves understand one another, we will make a league against Frederick, and may easily make him strike the first blow ; for even now he is longing to appropriate another Silesia." "And I am longing to cross swords with him for the one he has stolen. I cannot bear to think of going to my fathers with a diminished inheritance ; I cannot brook the thought that my wo- man's hands have not been strong enough to preserve my rights ; for I feel that if I have the heart of a woman, I have the head of a man. To see Austria great and powerful, to see her men noble and her women virtuous — that is my dream, my hope, my aim in life. You are the one to perfect what I have conceived, Kaunitz ; will you give me your hand to this great work?" " I will, your majesty, so help me God !" "Will you have Austria's good alone in view, in all that you counsel as my minister?" "I will, so help me God!" " Will you take counsel with me how we may justly and right- eously govern Austria, without prejudice, without self-love, without thought of worldly fame, not from love or fear of man, but for the sake of God from whose hands we hold our empire?" "IwiU, so help me God !" "Then," said Maria Theresa, after a pause, "you are my sole minister, and I empower you to preside over the affairs of state, in the manner you may judge fittest for the welfare of the Austrian people. " Kaunitz was as self-possessed a worldling as ever sought to hide his emotions ; but he could not suppress an exclamation of rapture, nor an expression of triumph, which lit up his face as nothing had ever illumined it before. "Your majesty," said he, when he found words, "I accept the ti-ust, and as there is a God above to judge me, I will hold it faith- fully. My days and nights, my youth and age, with their thoughts, their will, their every faculiy, shall be laid upon the shrine of Austria's greatness; and if for one moment I ever sacrifice your majesty to any interest of mine, may I die a death of torture and disgrace I" * Maria Theresa's own words, t Maria Theresa's words. Coxe. 38 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. " I believe you ; your countenance reflects your heart, and Al- mighty God has heard your words. One thing remember — that Maria Theresa Bufl:ers no minister to dictate to her. Slie is the reigning sovereign of her people, and will not suffer a finger to be laid upon her imperial rights. Were he a thousand times prime minister, the man that presumed too far with me I would hui'l from his eminence to the lowest depths of disgrace. And now that we understand one another, we will clasp hands like men, who are pledged before God to do their duty. " She extended her hand to Kaunitz, who grasped it in his own. " I swear, " said he, solemnly, " to do my duty ; and never can I for- get this hour. I swear to my sovereign, Maria Theresa, loyalty unto death ; and before my empress I bow my knee, and so do homage to the greatest woman of her age. " The empress smiled, while Kaunitz knelt and kissed her fair, jewelled hand. "May God grant that you speak truth, Kaunitz, and may my posterity not have to blush for me ! 'Every thing for Austria, ' shall be your motto and mine ; and this flaming device shall light us on our way through life. Now go, lord high chancel- lor, and see that the world finds a phoenix in the ashes of the old rigime which to-day we have consigned to the dust !" * * From this time, Kaunitz was the sole minister o( the empress; and he kept his promise to Binder, who became state referendarius, in the place of the once-powei;- ful Bartenstein. ISABELLA. CHAPTER X. THE YOUNG SOLDIEK. Kaxjnttz's prophecy had been fulfilled. No sooner was it known that Austria and France were allies, than Frederick of Prussia, with all haste, made treaties with England. These opposite alliances were the signal for war. For seven years this war held its blood- stained lash over Austria, and every nation in Europe suffered more or less from its effects. Maria Theresa began it with sharp words, to which Frederick had responded with his sharper sword. The king, through his ambassador, asked the meaning of her ex- tensive military preparations throughout Austria, to which the empress, nettled by the arrogance of the demand, had replied that she believed she had a right to mass troops for the protection of her- self and her allies, without rendering account of her acts to foreign kings. Upon the receipt of this reply, Fi'ederick marched his troops into Saxony, and so began the " Seven Years' War, " a war that was prosecuted on both sides with bitter vindictiveness. Throughout Austria the wildest enthusiasm prevailed. Rich and poor, young and old, all rushed to the fight. The warlike spirit that pervaded her people made its way to the heart of the empress's eldest son. The Archduke Joseph had for some time been entreat- ing his mother to allow him to join the army ; and, at last, though much against her vsi'ill, she had yielded to his urgent desire. The day on which news of a victory, near Kunnersdorf , over Frederick, reached the palace, the empress had given her consent, and her son was to be allowed to go in search of laurel- wreaths wherewith to deck his imperial brow. This permission to enter the army was the first great joy of Joseph's life. His heart, at last freed from its weight of conven- tional duties, and forced submission to the requirements of court etiquette, soared high into regions of exultant happiness. His countenance, once so cold and impassible, was now full of joyous changes ; his eyes, once so dull and weary, glowed with the fire of awakened enthusiasm, and they looked so brilliant a blue, that it seemed as if some little ray from heaven had found its way into their clear, bright depths. The poor boy was an altered creature. He was frolicsome with his friends ; and as for those whom he con- sidered his enemies, he cared nothing for their likes or dislikes. He had nothing to lose or gain from them ; he was to leave the court, leave Vienna, leave every troublesome remembrance behind, and go, far from all toi-mentors, to the army. The preparations were at an end ; the archduke had taken formal leave of his mother's court ; this evening he was to spend in the im- 40 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. perial family circle ; and early on the next morning his journey would begin. He had just written a last note of farewell to a friend. Alone in his room, he stood before a mirror, contemplat- ing with a smile his own image. He was not looking at his hand- some face, though happiness was lending it exquisite beauty ; the object of his rapturous admiration was the white uniform, which, for the first time, he wore in place of his court-dress. He was no longer the descendant of Charles the Fifth, no longer the son of the empress, he was a soldier — a free, self-sustaining man, whose des- tiny lay in his own hands, and whose future deeds would prove him worthy to be the son of his great ancestor. As, almost intoxicated with excess of joy, he stood before the glass, the door opened gently, and a youth of about his own age entered the room. " Pardon me, your highness, " said the youth, bowing, " if I enter without permission. Doubtless your highness did not hear me knock, and I found no one in your anteroom to announce me. " The prince turned around, and reached out his hand, saying, with a laugh : " No, no, you found nobody. I have discharged old Dame Etiquette from my service, and you see before you not his im- perial highness, the Archduke Joseph, crown prince of Austria, but a young soldier, brimful of happiness, master of nothing but his own sword, with which he means to carve out his fortunes on the battle-field. Oh, Dominick 1 I have dropped the rosary, and taken up the sabre ; and I mean to twist such a forest of laurels about my head, that it will be impossible for me ever to wear a night-cap again, were it even sent me as a present from the pope himself. " " Do not talk so loud, your highness ; you will frighten the pro- prieties out of their wits. " Joseph laughed. "Dominick Kaunitz, '' said he, "you are the son of your respected father, no doubt of it ; for you behave prettily before the bare walls themselves. But fear not, son of the mighty minister, my walls are dumb, and nobody is near to tell tales. We are alone, for I have dismissed all my attendants ; and here I may give loud vent to my hallelujahs, which I now proceed to do by singing you a song which I learned not long ago from an invalid soldier in the street. " And the prince began, in a sonorous bass voice, to sing : "Oh I the young cannon is my bride! Her orange-wreath is twined with bay, And on the blood-red battle-field We'll celebrate our wedding-day. Traral traral No priest is there To bless the rites, No " Here young Kaunitz, all etiquette despising, put his hands be- fore the mouth of the prince ; and, while the latter strove, in spite of him, to go on with his song, he said, in low but anxious tones : "For Heaven's sake, your highness, listen to me. You plunge yourself wantonly into danger. Do you suppose that your powerful voice does not resound through the corridors of the palace?" "Well, if it is heard, Dominick, what of it? I bid farewell to my enemies, and this is my 'Hosanna. ' You ought to be ashamed of yourself to stop me. My tormentors, you think, have heard the THE YOUNG SOLDIER. 41 beginning of my song ; well, the devil take it, but they shall have the end !" Once more the archduke began to sing ; but Dominick caught his arm. " Do you wish, " said he, " to have the empress revoke her permission?" The archduke laughed. "Why, Dominick, you are crazed with grief for my loss, I do believe ; the empress revoke her imperial word, now, when aU my preparations are made, and I go to-morrow ?" "Empresses do revoke their words, and preparations are often made, to be followed by— nothing, " replied Dominick. The prince looked in consternation at his young friend. " Are you in eai-nest, dear Dominick?" asked he. "Do you indeed think it possible that I could be hindered from going to the army, on the very eve of my departure?" " I do, your highness. " The archduke grew pale, and in a tremulous voice said, "Upon what do you found your supposition, my friend?" " Oh, my dear lord, " replied Dominick, " it is no supposition, I fear it is a fact ; and I fear, too, that it is your own fault if this disappointment awaits you. " " Good Heaven !" exclaimed the prince, in tones of anguish, "what can I have done to deserve such fearful chastisement?" "You have displeased the empress by neglect of your religious duties. For more than two weeks you have not entered a place of worship ; and, yesterday, when the Countess Fuchs remonstrated with your highness, you replied with an unseemly jest. You said, 'Dearest countess, I hope to prove to you that, although I neglect my mass, I can be pious on the battle-field. There, on the altar of my country, I mean to sacrifice countless enemies, and that will be an offering quite as pleasing in the sight of God. ' Were those not your words, prince?" " Yes, yes, they were — but I meant no impiety. My heart was so full of joy that it effervesced in wild words ; but surely my mother cannot mean, for such a harmless jest, to dash my every hope to the earth !" "Oh, your highness, this is only one offence out of many of which you are accused. I have no time to repeat thena now, for my errand here is important and pressing. " "Where learned you all this?" asked the poor archduke. " Bend down your ear, and I will tell you. My father told me every word of it. " "The lord high chancellor? Impossible !" "Yes, it would seem impossible that he should repeat any thing, and therefore you may know how seriously the matter affects your highness when I tell you that he sent me to warn you. " A quick, lo/.d knock at the door interrupted him, and before the archduke could say "Come in," the Emperor Francis was in the room. His face looked careworn, and he cast a glance of tender compassion upon his son. "My child," said he, "I come to speak to you in private, a thing I cannot compass in my own apartments. " Dominick bowed to take leave, but the emperor withheld him. "Stay," said he, "for you may serve us, Dominick. I know you to be Joseph's best friend, and you will not betray him. But I have no time for words. Tell me quickly, Joseph, is there any secret 43 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. outlet to these apartmeuts? Do you know of any hidden stairway by which you could escape from the palace?" "I, father! I have secret doors in my apartnSents? Is this some new device of my enemies to injure me in the eyes of the empress ?" " Hush, hush, Joseph ! — How like he is in temperament to his mother ! — Answer me at once ; there is no question of enemies, but of yourself. " "What would you have me do with secret doors and stairways?" asked Joseph. The emperor came close to his son, and, in low, cautious tones, whispered, " I would have you, this very hour, leave the palace pri- vately, mount your horse, and speed away from Vienna. " "Fly, my dear father?" cried Joseph. "Has it come to this, that the son must fly from the face of his own mother? Am I a criminal, who must not be told of what crime I am accused? No, your maj- esty ; if death, or imprisonment for life, were hei-e to threaten me, I would not fly. " " Nor would I counsel flight, my son, were you accused of wrong ; but this is not a question of crime, of poisoned beaker, or of castle dungeon — it is simply this : Do you wish to join the army, or are you ready to give up your commission and stay at home?" "Oh, my dear father," cried Joseph, "you well know that I have but one desire on earth — and that is, to go. " "Then, hear me. It has been represented to the empress that your lust for war has made you so reckless, so bloodthirsty, and so im- pious, that camp-life will prove your ruin. In her excess of mater- nal love, she has taken the alarm, and has resolved to shield you from danger by withdrawing her consent to your departure. " The archduke's eyes filled with tears. The emperor laid his hand sympathizingly upon his shoulder. " Do not despair, dear child, " said he, tenderly ; " perhaps all is not lost, and I may be able to assist you. I can comprehend the nature of your sorrow, for I have sufi'ered the same bitter disappoint- ment. If, instead of leading a useless life, a mere appanage of the empress, 1 had been permitted to follow the dictates of my heart, and command her armies, I might have — but why speak of my waning career? You are young, and I do not wish to see your life darkened by such early disappointment. Therefore, listen to me. You know nothing of the change in your prospects ; you have, as yet, received no orders to remain. Write to your mother, that, preferring to go without the grief of taking leave, you have presumed to start to-night without her knowledge, hoping soon to embrace her again, and lay your first-earned laurels at her feet. " The archduke hastened to obey his father, and sat down to write. The emperor, meanwhile, signed to young Kaunitz, who had kept himself respectfully aloof. " Have you a courser, " asked he, " to sell to Joseph, and two good servants that can accompany him until his own attendants can be sent after him ?" " I came hither, your majesty, prepared to make the same propo- sition, with the fleetest horse in my father's stables, and two trusty servants, well mounted, all of which await his highness at the postern gate. " " Your father's best horse? Then he knows of this affair?" THE EMPRESS AND HER SON. 43 "It was he who sent me to the archduke's assistance. He told me, in case of necessity, to propose flight, and to be ready for it. " " The letter is ready, " said the archduke, coming forward. " I myself will hand it to the empress, " said his father, taking it, " and I will tell her that I counselled you to go as you did. " " But dear father, the empress will be angry. " " Well, my son, " said the emperor, with a peculiar smile, " I have survived so many little passing storms, that I shall doubtless survive this one. The empress has the best and noblest heart in the world, and its sunshine is always brightest after a storm. Go, then, my child, I will answer for your sin and mine. The empress has said nothing to me of her change of purpose ; she looks upon it as a state afEair, and with her state affairs I am never made acquainted. Since accident has betrayed it to me, I have a right to use my knowledge in your behalf, and I undertake to appease your mother. Here is a purse with two thousand louis d'ors ; it is enough for a few days of incognito. Throw your military cloak about you, and away !" Young Kaunitz laid the cloak upon the shoulders of the arch- duke, whose eyes beamed forth the gratitude that filled his heart. " Oh my father and my sovereign, " said he in a voice that trem- bled with emotion, " my whole life will not be long enough to thank you for what you are doing for me in this critical hour. Till now I have loved you indeed as my father, but henceforth I must look upon you as my benefactor also, as my dearest and best friend. My heart and my soul are yours, dear father ; may I be worthy of your Jove and of the sacrifice you are making for me to-day !" The emperor folded his son to his heart, and kissed his fair fore- head. " Farewell, dear boy, " whispered he ; " return to me a vioror and a hero. May you earn for your father on the battle-field the laurels which he has seen in dreams ! God bless you !" They then left the room. Count Kaunitz leading the way, to see if the passage was clear. "I will go with you as far as the staircase," continued the em- peror, " and then — " At that moment Dominick, who had gone forward into the cor- ridor, rushed back into the room pale and trembling, " It is too late !" exclaimed he in a stifled voice ; " there comes a messenger from the empress 1" CHAPTER XI. THE EMPRESS AND HER SON. The young count was not mistaken. It was indeed a message from the empress. It was the marshal of the household, followed by four pages who came to command the presence of the archduke, to whom her majesty wished to impart something of importance. A deadly paleness overspread the face of the young prince, and his whole frame shivered. The emperor felt the shudder, and drew his son's arm closer to his heart. "Courage, my son, courage I" whispered he : then turning toward the imperial embassy, he said aloud, " Announce to her majesty that I will accompany the arch- 44 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. duke in a few moments. " And as the marshal stood irresolute and confused, the emperor, smiling, said ; " Oh, I see that you have been ordered to accompany the prince yourselves. Come, then, my son, we will e'en go along with the messengers." Maria Theresa was pacing the floor of her apartment in great ex- citement. Her large, flashing eyes now and then turned toward the door; and whenever she fancied tha,t footsteps approached, she stopped, and seemed almost to gasp with anxiety. Suddenly she turned toward Father Porhammer, who, with the Countess Fuchs, stood by the side of the sofa from which she had risen. " Father, " said she, in a tremulous voice, " I cannot tell why it is that, as I await my son's presence here, my heart is over- whelmed with anguish. I feel as if I were about to do him an in- justice, and for all the kingdoms of the world I would not do him wrong. " " Nay, " replied the father, " your majesty is about to rescue that beloved son from destruction ; but as your majesty is a loving mother, it afflicts you to disappoint your child. Still, our Lord has commanded if the right eye offend, to pluck it out ; and so is it your majesty's duty to pluck from your son's heart the evil growing there, even were his heart's blood to follow. The wounds you may inflict upon your dear child, for God's sake, will soon be healed by His Almighty hand. " " He was so happy to become a soldier !" murmured the empress, who had resumed her agitated walk ; " his eyes were so bright, and his bearing was so full of joy and pride ! My boy is so handsome, so like his dear father, that my heart throbs when I see him, as it did in the days when we were young lovers ! A laurel-wreath would well become his fair brow, and I — how proudly I should have welcomed my young hero to my heart once more ! Dear, dear boy, must I then wake you so rudely from your first dream of am- bition? — I MUST. Ho would come to evil in the lawless life of the camp ; God forgive him, but he is as mad for the fight as Don John of Austria ! I should never see him again ; he would seek death in his first battle. Oh, I could not survive it ; my heart would break if I should have to give up my first-bom ! Four of my children lie in the vaults of St. Stephen's — I cannot part with my Joseph I Countess, " she said, turning suddenly to her lady of honor, " is*it not time that Joseph told you he thought that the altar of the battle-field and the sacrifice of his enemies was — " " His majesty the emperor and his imperial highness, the Arch- duke Joseph !" said the marshal of the household ; and the door was flung open for their entrance. Maria Theresa advanced, and bowed slightly to the emperor. "Your majesty's visit at this unusual hour surprises 'me, " said she with emphasis. " I am aware, " replied the emperor graciously, " that I was not expected ; but as this is the last day of our son's residence imder the parental roof, I am sure that my wife will see nothing strange in my visit. I was with the archduke when your majesty's message reached him, and knowing that you could have no secrets with the son which the father might not hear, I followed the impulse of my affection, and came with him. " " And what signifies this singular and unseemly dress in which my son presents himself before his sovereign?" asked Maria Theresa, THE EMPRESS AND HER SON. 45 angrily surveying the uniform which, nevertheless, she acknowl- edged in her heart was beyond expression becoming to him. ■" Pardon me, your majesty, " replied the son, " I had tried on the uniform, and if I was to obey your summons at once, there was no time for a change in my dress. " "And, indeed, " said the emperor, "I think the dress becoming. Our boy will makie a tine- looking soldier. " The empress being precisely of that opinion herself, was so much the more vexed at her husband for giving it expression. She bit her lip, and her brow contracted, as was usual with her when she was growing angry. "You held it then as a fact, my son, that you were a soldier?" said she, catching her breath with anxiety. Joseph raised his fine eyes, with an imploring expression, to the face of his mother. " Your majesty had promised me that I should be a soldier, " replied he firmly, " and I have never yet known my mother to break her imperial word to the least of her subjects. " " Hear him !" cried the empress, with a laugh of derision, " he almost threatens me ! This young sir will try to make it a point of honor with me to keep my word. " "Pardon me, your majesty," replied Joseph calmly, "I have never allowed myself to doubt your imperial word for one moment of my life. " " Well, then, your highness has my imperial permission to doubt it now, " cried the empress, severely humiliated by the implied rebuke ; " I allow you to doubt whether I will ever hold promises that have been rashly and injudiciously made. " " Why, your majesty, " cried the emperor, '" surely you will not retract your word in the face of the whole world, that knows of Joseph's appointment !" " What to me is the opinion of the world?" returned the haughty empress. " To God and my conscience alone I am responsible for my acts, and to them I will answer it that I take back my promise, and declare that Joseph shall not go into the army !" Joseph uttered a cry of anguish. " Mother ! mother 1" sobbed the unhappy boy, " it cannot be !" "Why can it not be?" said the empress, haughtily. " Because it would be a cruel and heartless deed, " cried the arch- duke, losing all control over himself, " so to make sport of my holiest and purest hopes in life ; and because I never, never can believe that my own mother would seek to break my heart. " The empress was about to return a scathing reply, when the em- peror laid his gentle hand upon her shoulder, and the words died upon her lips. " I beseech of you, my wife, " said he, " to remember that we are not alone. Joseph is no child ; and it ill becomes any but his par- ents to witness his humiliation. Have the goodness, then, to dis- miss your attendants, and let us deal with our son alone. " "Why shall I dismiss them?" cried the empress, "they are my trusty confidants ; and they have a right to hear all that the future Emperor of Austria presumes to say to his mother !" '^Pardon me, " replied the emperor, " I differ with you, and desire that they should not hear our family discussions. In these things I too have my right ; and if your majesty does not command them to leave the room, I do. " 46 JOSEPH, II. AND HIS COURT. Maria Theresa looked at the countenance of her husband, which was firm and resolved in its expression. In her confusion she could find no retort. The emperor waited awhile, and seeing that she did not speak, he turned toward the two followers,, who stood, without moving, at their posts. " I request the Countess Fuohs and Father Porhammer to leave the room, " said he, with dignity. " Family concerns are discussed in private." The pair did not go. Father Porhammer interrogated the face of the empress ; and the countess, indignant that her curiosity was to be frustrated, looked defiant. This bold disregard of her husband's command was irritating to the feelings of the empress. She thought that his orders should have outweighed her mere remonstrance, and she now felt it her duty to signify as much. " Countess Fuchs, " said she, " doubtless the emperor has not spoken loud enough for you to hear the command ho has just given you. You have not understood his words, and I will take the trouble to repeat them. The emperor said, 'I request the' Countess Fuchs and Father Porhammer to leave the room. Our family concerns we will discuss in private. '" The lady of honor colored, and, with deep inclinations, Father Porhammer and herself left the room. Maria Theresa looked after them until the door was shut, then she smilingly reached her hand to the emperor, who thanked her with a pressure and a look of deepest affection. The archduke had retired to the embrasui-e of a window, perhaps to seek composure, perhaps to hide his tears. " Now, " said Maria Theresa, sternly, while her fiery eyes sought the figure of her son, " now we are alone, and Joseph is at liberty to speak. I beg him to remember, that in the person of his mother, he also sees his sovereign, and that the empress will resent every word of disloyalty spoken to the parent. And I hold it to be highly disloyal for my son to accuse me of making sport of his hopes. I have not come to my latest determination from cmelty or caprice ; I have made it in the strength of my maternal love to shield my child from sin, and in the rectitude of my imperial responsibility to my people, who have a right to claim from me that I bestow upon them a monarch who is worthy to reign over Austria. Therefore, my son, as empress and mother, I say that you shall remain. That is now my unalterable will. If this decision grieves you, be humble and submissive ; and remember that it is your duty, as son and sub- ject, to obey without demurring. Then shall we be good friends, and greet one another heartily, as though you had at this moment returned from the victorious battle-field. There is my hand. Be- welcome, my dear and much-beloved child. " The heart of the empress had gradually softened, and as she smiled and extended her hand, her beautiful eyes were filled to overflowing with tears. But Joseph, deathly pale, crossed his arms, and returned her glances of love with a haughty, defiant look, that almost approached to dislike. "My son," said the emperor, "do you not see your dear mother's hand extended to meet yours?" " I see it, I see it, " cried Joseph, passionately, " but I cannot take it — I cannot play my part in this mockery of a return. No, mother, THE EMPRESS AND HER SON. 47 no, I cannot kiss the hand that has so cruelly dashed my hopes to earth. And you wish to carry your tyranny so far as to exact that I receive it with a smile? Oh, mother, my heart is breaking 1 Have pity on me, and take back those cruel words ; let me go, let me go. Do not make me a byword for the world, that hereafter will refuse me its respect. Let me go, if but for a few weeks, and on the day that you command my return, I will come home. Oh, my heart was too small to hold the love I bore you for your consent to my departure. It seemed to me that I had just begun to live ; the world was full of beauty, and I forgot all the trials of my childhood. For one week I have been young, dear mother ; hurl me not back again into that dark dungeon of solitude where so much of my short life has been spent. Do not condemn me to live as I have hitherto lived ; give me freedom, give me my manhood's rights !" "No, no! a thousand times no!" cried the exasperated empress; " I see now that I am right to keep such an unfeeling and ungrateful son at home. He talks of his sufferings forsooth ! What has he ever suffered at my hands?" "What have I suffered?" exclainaed Joseph, whose teeth chattered as if he were having a chill, and who was no longer in a state to suppress the terrible eruption of his heart's agony. "What have I suffered, ask you? I will tell you, empress-mother, what I have suffered since first I could love, or think, or endure. As a child I have felt that my mother loved another son more than she loved me. When my longing eyes sought hers, they were riveted upon another face. When my brother and I have sinned together, he has been forgiven, when I have been punished. Sorrow and jealousy were in my heart, and no one cared enough for me to ask why I wept. I was left to suffer without one word of kindness — and you wondered that I was taciturn, and mocked at my slighted longings for love, and called them by hard names. And then you pointed to my caressed and indulged brother, and bade me be gay like him !" "My son, my son!" cried the emperor, "control yourself; you know not what you say. " " Let him go on, Francis, " said the pale mother, " it is well that I should know his heart at last. " " Yes, " continued the maddened archduke, " let me go on, for in my heart there is nothing but misery and slighted affection. Oh, mother, mother !" exclaimed he, suddenly changing from defiance to the most pathetic entreaty, "on my knees I implore you to let me go ; have mercy, have mercy upon your wretched son !" And the young prince, with outstretched hands, threw himself upon his knees before his mother. The long-suppressed tears gushed forth, and the wild tempest of his ungovernable fury was spent, and now he sobbed as if indeed his young heart was breaking. Th emperor could scarcely restrain the impulse he felt to weep with his son ; but he came and laid his hand upon the poor boy's head, and looked with passionate entreaty at the empress. "Dear Theresa," said he, "be compassionate and forgiving. Pardon him, beloved, the hard and unjust words which, in the bitterness of a first sorrow, he has spoken to the best of mothers. Raise him up from the depths of his despair, and grant the boon, for which, I am sure, he will love you beyond bounds. " " I wish that I dared to grant it to yourself, Francis, " replied the empress, sadly and tearfully ; "but you see that he has made it im- 48 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. possible. I dare not do it. The mother has no right to plead with the empress for her rebellious son. What he has said I freely for- give — God grant that I may forget it ! Well do I know how stormy is youth, and I remember that Joseph is my son. It is the wild Spanish lalood of my ancestry that boils in his veins, and, therefore, I forgive him with all my heart. But revoke my last sentence — that I cannot do. To do so would be to confirm him in wrong. Rise, my son Joseph — I forgive all your cruel words ; but what I have said, I have said. You remain at home. " Joseph rose slowly from his knees. The tears in his eyes were dried; his lips were compressed, and once more he wore the old look of cold and sullen indifference. He made a profound inclina- tion before his mother. "I have heard the empress's commands," said he, in a hoarse and unnatural voice ; " it is my duty to obey. Allow me to go to my prison, that I may doff this manly garb, which is no longer suitable to my blasted career. " Without awaiting the answer, he turned away, and with hasty strides left the room. The empress watched him in speechless anxiety. As the door closed upon him, her features assumed an expression of tenderness, and she said : " Go quickly, Franz — go after him. Try to comfort and sustain him. I do not know why, but I feel uneasy — " At that moment a cry was heard in the anteroom, and the fall of a heavy body to the floor. "God help me — it is Joseph !" shrieked the empress ; and, forget- ting all ceremony, she darted from the room, and rushed by her dismayed attendants through the anteroom, out into the corridor. Stretched on the floor, insensible and lifeless, lay her son. Without a word the empress waved off the crowd that was assem- bled around his body. The might of her love gave her supernatural strength, and folding her arms around her child, she covered his pale face with kisses, and from the very midst of the frightened attendants she bore him herself to her room, where she laid him softly upon her own bed. No one except the emperor had ventured to follow. He stood near, and reached the salts, to which the empress had silently pointed. She rubbed her son's temples, held the salts to his nostrils, and at last, when he gave signs of life, she turned to the emperor and burst into tears. "Oh, Franz," said she, "I almost wish that he were sick, that day and night I might watch by his bedside, and his poor heart might feel the full extent of a mother's love for her first-born child. " Perhaps God granted her prayer, that these two noble hearts might no longer be estranged, but that each might at last meet the other in the fullest confidence of mutual love. A violent attack of fever followed the swoon of the archduke. The empress never left his side. He slept in her own room, and she watched over him with gentlest and most affectionate care. Whenever Joseph awaked from his fever-dreams and unclosed his eyes, there, close to his bedside, he saw the empress, who greeted him with loving words and softest caresses. Whenever, in his fever-thirst, he called for drink, her hand held the cup to his parched lips ; and whenever that soft, cool hand was laid upon his hot brow, he felt as if its touch chased away all pain and soothed all soitow. When he recovered enough to sit up, still his mother would not THE EMPRESS AND HER SON. 49 consent for him to leave her room for his own. As long as he was an invalid, he should be hers alone. In her room, and through her loving care, should he find returning health. His sisters and brothers assembled there to cheer him with their childish mirth, and his young friend, Dominick Kaunitz, came daily to entertain him with his lively gossip. Altogether, the archduke was happy. If he had lost fame, he had found love. One day, when, cushioned in his great soft arm-chair, he was chatting with his favorite tutor, Count Bathiany, the empress entered the room, her face lit up with a happy smile, while in her hands she held an itui of red morocco. "What think you I have in this etui, dear?" she said, coming forward, and bending over her son to bestow a kiss. " I do not know ; but I guess it is some new gift of love from my mother's dear hand. " " Yes — rightly guessed. It is a genuine gift of love, and, with God's grace, it may prove the brightest gift in your future crown. Since I would not let you leave my house, my son, I feel it my duty, at least, to do my best to make your home a happy one. I also wish to show you that, in my sight, you are no longer a boy, but a man worthy to govern your own household. Look at the picture in this case, and if it pleases you, my darling son, I give you, not only the portrait, but the original also. " She handed him the case, in which lay the miniature of a young girl of surpassing beauty, whose large, dark eyes seemed to gaze upon him with a look of melancholy entreaty. The archduke contemplated the picture for some time, and grad- ually over his pale face there stole a flush of vague delight. " "Well !" asked the empress, " does the maiden please you?" "Please me!" echoed the archduke, without withdrawing his eyes from the picture. " 'Tis the image of an angel ! There is something in her look so beseeching, something in her smile so sad, that I feel as if I would fall at her feet and weep ; and yet, mother—" " Hear him, Franz, " cried Maria Theresa to the emperor, who, unobserved by his son, had entered the room. "Hear our own child ! love in his heart will be a sentiment as holy, as faithful, and as profound as it has been with us for many happy years ! Will you have the angel for your wife, Joseph?" The archduke raised his expressive eyes to the face of his mother. "If I will have her!" murmured he, sadly. "Dear mother, would she deign to look upon me ? Will she not rather turn away from him to whom the whole world is indifferent?" "My precious child, she will love and honor you, as the world will do, when it comes to know your noble heart. " And once more the empress bent over her son and imprinted a kiss upon his pale brow. " It is settled then, my son, that you shall offer your hand to this beautiful girl. In one week you will have attained your nine- teenth birthday, and you shall give a good example to your sisters. Do you like the prospect?" "Yes, dear mother, I am perfectly satisfied." "And you do not ask her name or rank?" "You have chosen her for me; and I take her from your hand without name or rank. " "Well," cried the delighted empress, "Count Bathiany, you have ever been the favorite preceptor of the archduke. Upon you, then, 50 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. shall this honorable mission devolve. To-morrow, as ambassador extraordinary from our court, you shall go in state to ask of Don Philip of Parma the hand of his daughter Isabella for his imperial highness, the crown prince of Austria. " CHAPTER XII. AN ITALIAN NIGHT. The moon is up, but she is hidden behind heavy masses of clouds — welcome clouds that shelter lovers' secrets. The fountains, whose silvery showers keep such sweet time to the murmurings of love, plash gently on, hushing the sound of lovers' voices ; on the bosom of yonder marble-cinctured lake, two snow-white swans are floating silently ; and, far amid groves of myrtle and olive, the nightingale warbles her notes of love. Not a step echoes through the long avenues of the ducal park, not a light glimmers from the windows of the ducal palace. 'Tis the hour of midnight, and gentle sleep hath come to all. To all, save two. Stay yet awhile behind the cloud, O tell-tale moon ! for there — there are the lovers. See where fair Juliet leans from the marble balcony ; while Romeo, below, whispers of plighted vows that naught shall cancel save — death ! ' ' "To-morrow, beloved, to-morrow, thou wilt be mine forever?" " I will be thine in the face of the whole world. " "And wilt thou never repent? Hast thou strength to brave the world's scorn for my sake?" " Do I need strength to stretch forth my hand for that which is dearer to me than all the world beside? Oh, there is selfishness in my love, Riccardo, for it loses sight of the dangers that will threaten thee on the day when thou callest me wife !" " There is but one danger, dearest — that of losing thee ! I know no other." " Still, be cautious, for my sake. Remember, we live on Spanish soil, though Italy's skies are overhead ; and Spanish vengeance is sharp and swift. Betray not thy hopes by smile or glance — in a few days we will be far away in the paradise where our happiness shall be hidden from all eyes, save those of angels. Be guarded, there- fore, dear one — for see ! Even now the rnoon is forth again in all her splendor; and were my father's spies to track thee! — Gracious Heaven, go ! Think of Spanish daggers, and let us part for a few short hours. " " Well, I will go, strengthened to turn my eyes from thy beauty, by thoughts of to-morrow's bliss ! In the chapel I await thee." " I will be there. The priest will not betray us?" "He was the friend of my childhood— we may trust him, Isabella. " "Then, Heaven bless thee! good-night. Hark I— did I not hear something rustle in the thicket?" " The wind sighing through the pine-trees, love. " " Then, adieu, till morning. " "Adieu, sweet one !" The moon burst forth in full radiance, and revealed the manly AN ITALIAN NIGHT. 51 form that hurried tlirough the avenue ; while clear as in noonday- could be seen the slender white figure that watched his retreating steps. He is hidden now, but she still lingers, listening enraptured to the fountain's murmur and the nightingale's song ; looking upward at the moon as she wandered through heaven's pathless way, and thinking that never had earth or sky seemed so lovely before — But hark ! What sounds are those? A cry, a fearful cry rends the air ; and it comes from the thicket where, a moment before, he disappeared from her sight. She started — then, breathless as a statue, she listened in deadly suspense. Again that cry, that dreadful cry, pierces through the stillness of the night, freezing her young heart with horror ! " His death-wail !" cried the wretched girl ; and careless of dan- ger, scarce knowing what she did, heeding nothing but the sound of her lover's voice, she sprang from the balcony, and as though moonbeams had drawn her thither, she swung herself to the ground. For one moment her slight form wavered, then she darted forward and flew through the avenue to the thicket. Away she sped, though the moon shone so bright that she could be distinctly seen, her own shadow following like a dusky phantom behind. Be friendly, now, fair moon, and light her to her lover, that she may look into his eyes once more before they close forever I She has reached the spot, and, with a low cry, she throws herself by the side of the tall figure that lies stretched at its length upon the green sward. Yes, it is he ; he whom she loves ; the soul of her soul, the life of her life ! And he lies cold and motionless, his eyes staring blindly upon the heavens, his purple lips unclosing to exhale his last sighs, while from two hideous wounds in his side the blood streams over the white dress of his betrothed. But he is not dead ; his blood is still warm. She bends over and kisses his cold lips ; she tears her lace mantle from her shoulders, and, pressing it to his wounds, tries to stanch the life-blood welling from his side. The mantle grows scarlet with his gore, but the lips are whiter and colder with each kiss. She knows, alas ! that there is one nearer to him now than she — Azrael is between her and her lover. He grows colder, stiflEer; and — O God ! — the death-rattle ! "Take me with thee ; take me, take me !" screamed the despair- ing girl ; and her arms clasped frantically around the body, until they seemed as if they were indeed stiffening into one eternal embrace. "Have pity, Eiccardo! My life, my soul, leave me not here without thee ! One word — one look, beloved !" She stared at him in wild despair, and seeing that he made no sign of response to her passionate appeal, she raised her hands to heaven, and kneeling by his side, she prayed. "O God, merciful God, take not his fleeting life until he has given me one last word— until he has told me how long we shall be parted !" Her arms sank heavily down, and she sought the face of the dying man, whispering— oh, how tenderly !— " Hear me, my own ; tell me when I shall follow thee to heaven !" She ceased, for suddenly she felt him tremble ; his eyes moved 52 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. until they met hers, and once more a smile flitted across those blanched lips. He raised his head, and slowly his body moved, until, supported in her arms, he sat erect. Enraptured, he laid her cheek to his, and waited ; for love had called him back to life, and he would speak. " We shall meet again in three — " He fell back, and with a last cry expired. Love had struggled hard with death ; but death had won the victory. Isabel shed no tears. She closed her lover's eyes ; gave him one long, last kiss ; and, as she bent over him, her hair was soaked in his blood. She took the mantle, wet with gore, and pressed it to her heart. " Precious mantle, " said she, " we need not part ; in three days — or. perchance he said three hours — we shall lie together inthecoflSn! Until then, Eiccardo, farewell!" Slowly she turned and left the horrible place. Wthout faltering, she came up the long moonlit avenue, her head thrown back, and her large, lustrous eyes fixed upon heaven, as though she sought to find her lover's soul somewhere among the floating clouds. The moon flung its radiance around her path ; and ever, as she walked, it grew brighter, until the poor, stricken child of earth looked like a glorified saint. " God grant that it be three hours !" murmured she ; "three days were an eternity !" She reached the palace, without having thought that there was no door open by which she could enter, when suddenly a form emerged from the shadowed wall, and a woman's voice whispered : "Quick, for Heaven's sake ! the side-door is open, and all in the palace sleep !" " I, too, in three hours shall sleep !" cried Isabella, triumphantly, and with these words she feU to the ground in a swoon.* CHAPTER XIII. ISABELLA OF PARMA. The Princess Isabella slept unusually late the next morning. Her little bell, that summoned the ladies of honor, had not yet rung, and the day was far advanced. The first cameriera seemed troubled, and whispered her apprehensions that the princess was sick ; for she had observed, for some days, she said, that her highness had looked pale. " But we must go into her room, ladies, '' added she ; " for it is almost time for her highness to visit the duke, and he never for- gives an omission of ceremonial. FoUow me, then ; J will under- take to awaken the princess. " She opened the door softly, and entered the sleeping-room of the princess, followed by the other maids of honor. " She sleeps yet, " said the cameriera; " but I nrnst waken her, " murmured she to herself, " it is my duty. " She advanced, and drew aside the heavy folds of the pink- silk curtains that hung around the bed. "Pardon me, your highness," she whispered ; "but — " She stopped ; for, to her great surprise, the princess was awake. She lay in her long white night-dress, with her hands crossed over her * Caroline Pichler, " Memoiis of My Life, " Part I. page 139. ISABELLA OF PARMA. 53 breast, and her head cushioned on the rose-colored pillow that con- trasted painfully with the pallor of her marble-white face. Her large eyes were distended, and fixed upon a picture of the blessed Virgin that hung at the foot of the bed. Slowly her looks turned upon her attendants, who, breathless and frightened, gazed upon the rosy pillow, and the pallid face that lay in its midst, dazzling their eyes with its whiteness. "Pardon me," again whispered the cameriera, "it is almost noonday. " "What hour?" murmured the princess. "It is ten o'clock, your highness." The princess shivered, and exclaimed, " For three days, then !" And turning away, she began to pray in a low voice, and none but God knew the meaning of that whispered prayer. Her prayer over, she passed her little white hand over the dark locks that fell around her face and made an effort to rise. Her maids of honor saw that she was ill, and hastened to assist her. The hour of the princess's toilet was to her attendants the most delightful hour of the day. From her bedchamber all cere- monial was banished ; and there, with her young companions, Isabella was accustomed to laugh, jest, sing, and be as merry and as free from care as the least of her father's subjects. Philip of Parma was by birth a Spaniard, one of the sons of Philip the Fifth. After the vicissitudes of war which wrested Naples and Parma from the hands of Austria, Don Carlos of Spain became king of Naples, and Don Philip, duke of Parma. Isabella, then a child of seven years, had been allowed the privilege of taking with her to Italy her young playmates, who, for form's sake, as she grew older, became her maids of honor. But they were her dear and chosen friends, and with them she was accustomed to speak the Spanish language only. Her mother, daughter of Louis XV. , had introduced French cus- toms into the court of Parma, and during her life the gayety and grace of French manners had rendered that court one of the most attractive in Europe. But the lovely Duchess of Parma died, and with her died all that made court life endurable. The French lan- guage was forbidden, and French customs were banished. Some said that the duke had loved his wife so deeply, that in his grief he had excluded from his court every thing suggestive of his past hap- piness. Others contended that he had made her life so wretched by his jealous and tyrannical conduct, that remorse had driven him to banish, if possible, every reminder of the woman whom he had almost murdered. In the hearts of her children the mother's memory was en- shrined ; and the brother and sister were accustomed for her sake, in their private intercourse, to speak her language altogether. At court they spoke the language of the country ; and Isabella — who with her friends sang boferos and danced the cachuca ; with her brother, read Eacine and Corneille— was equally happy while she hung enraptured upon the strains of Pergolese's music, or gazed entranced upon the pictures of Correggio and the Veronese. The princess herself was both a painter and musician, and no one, more than she, loved Italy and Italian art. Such, until this wretched morning, had been the life of young Isabella. What was she now? A cold, white image, in whose 54 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. staring eyes the light was quenched — from whose blanched lips the smile had fled forever ! Her grieved attendants could scarcely suppress their tears, as sadly and silently they arrayed her in her rich robes ; while she, not seeming to know where she was, gazed at her own reflected image, with a look of stupid horror. They dressed her beautiful hair, and bound it up in massy braids. They smoothed it over her death-cold forehead, and shuddered to see how like a corpse she looked. At last the task was at an end, and the cameriera coming toward her, offered the cup of chocolate which she was accustomed to drink at that hour. Tenderly she besought the unhappy girl to partake of it, but Isabella waved away the cup, saying : " Dear friend, offer me no earthly food. I pine for the banquet of angels. Let the chaplain be called to bring the viaticum. I wish to receive the last sacraments of the dying. " A cry of horror burst from the lips of the maids of honor. "The chaplain! The last sacraments! For you, my beloved child ?" asked the sobbing cameriera. " For me, " replied Isabella. "Heavenly Father!" exclaimed the aja. "Have you then pre- sumed to anticipate the will of God, and to go before His presence, uncalled?" "No, no, death will come to me, I will not seek it. I will endure life as long as God wills, but, in three days, I shall be called hence. " The young girls crowded around her, weeping, and imploring her not to leave them. Isabella's white lips parted with a strange smile. "You tell me not to die, dear friends; do you not see that I am already dead? My heart is bleeding. " The hand of the cameriera was laid upon her arm, and she whis- pered : "My child, be silent ; you know not what you say. " Isabella bowed her head, and then looking tenderly around at her kneeling companions, she said : " Rise and sit by me, my dear girls, and listen to what I am about to say, for we speak together for the last time on earth. " The maidens arose, and obeyed, while Isabella leaned her head for a few moments upon the bosom of her mother's friend, the came- riera. There was a pause, during which the poor girl seemed to have received some comfort in those friendly arms ; for she finally sighed, and, raising her head again, she spoke solemnly, but not unnaturally. " I had last night a singular vision, " she said. " The spirit of my mother appeared to me, and said that in three days I was to die. I believe in this vision. Do not weep, dear sisters ; I go to eternal rest. Life is bitter, death is sweet. Pray for me, that my mother's prophetic words be verified ; and you, beloved friend of that mother," added she, kissing the comenera's cheek, " you who know the depths of my heart, and its secret, silent agony, pray for your child, and praying, ask of her heavenly Father — death. " The aja made no reply, she was weeping with the others. Isabella contemplated the group for a moment, while a ray of life lit up her eyes, showing that, even now, it was sad to part from her friends forever. But the expression was momentary. Her face returned to its deadly paleness, as gasping for breath, she stammered : " Now — now — for — my father ! Estrella, go to the apartments of the duke, and say that I desire an interview with his royal highness. " ISABELLA OF PARMA. 55 The young giii returned in a few moments with an answer. His royal highness had that morning gone some distance in the country on a hunting excursion, and would be absent for several days. Isabella looked at the cameriera, who still stood beside her, and her pale lips quivered. "Did I not know it?" whispered she; "I told you truly, he did it ! God forgive him, I cannot. — And now," continued she, aloud, " now to my last earthly affairs. " So saying, she called for her caskets of jewels and divided them between the young maids of honor ; and cutting from her hair one rich, massy lock, she placed it in Estrella's hand, saying, "Share it among you all. " To the cameriera she gave a sealed packet, and then bade them leave her to herself ; for the ringing of the chapel bell announced the departure of the priest thence, with the blessed sacrament. The sacred rites were ended. On her knees the Princess Isabella had made her confession, and had revealed to the shuddering priest the horrible secrets of the preceding night. She had received abso- lution, and had partaken of the holy communion. "Now, my child," said the priest, in a voice tremulous with sympathy, "you have received the blessing of God, and you are prepared for His coming. May He be merciful to you, and grant your prayer for release from this earth ! I, too, will pray that your martyrdom be short. " "Amen !" softly murmured Isabella. " But the ways of the Lord are inscrutable, and it may be that He wills it otherwise. If, in His incomprehensible wisdom. He should declare that your days shall be long on this earth, promise me to endure your lot with resignation, nor seek to hasten what He has deemed it best to delay?" " I promise, holy father. " "Make a vow, then, to the Lord, that by the memory of your mother you will fulfil every duty that presents itself to you in life, until God has spoken the word that will call you to Himself. " "I swear, by the memory of my mother, that I will live a life of resignation and of usefulness until God in His mercy, shall free me from my prison. " "Right, dear unhappy child," said the father, smoothing, with his ti'embling hands, the soft hair that lay on either side of her fore- head. ■' May God reward thee, and in His infinite mercy shorten thy sufferings !" He stooped, and kissing her pale brow, made the sign of the cross above her kneeling figure. Then, with eyes blinded by tears, he slowly retreated to his own room, where he threw himself upon his knees and prayed that God would give sti-ength to them both to bear the cross of that dreadful secret. Isabella, too, remained alone. In feverish longing for death, she sat, neither hearing the voices of her friends who begged for admission, nor the pleadings of her brother, who besought her to see him and give him one last embrace. Through the long night that followed, still kneeling, she prayed. When the sun rose, she murmured, "To-moiTow!" and through the day her fancy wandered to the verge of madness. Sometimes visions of beckoning angels swarmed around her ; then they fled, and in their places stood a hideous skeleton, that, with ghastly smile, held out his fleshless hand, and strove to clasp hers. 56 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COUET. Again the night set in, and the next morning at break of day, Isabella rose from her knees, and, hailing the rising sun, cried ex- ultingly, "To-day!" Exhausted from fasting and such long vigils, her head reeled, and she staggered to her couch. A cold shudder crept over her limbs ; all was dark as night about her ; she tried to clasp her hands in prayer and could not, for they were numb and powerless. "This is welcome death I" thought she, and her lips parted with a happy smile, Her head fell backward on the pillow, and her senses fled. CHAPTER XIV. THE AMBASSADOE EXTKAOEDINAET. The Princess Isabella opened her eyes, and in their dark and lustrous depths shone returning reason ; they glared no more with fever-madness, but were sadder and sweeter than ever. She gazed at the forms that surrounded her bedside ; at the priest, who, with folded hands, was praying at her head ; at the eameriera, who knelt beside him ; at the young girls, who, gathered in a lovely group at her feet, smiled and wept by turns as she looked upon them ; and lastly, she felt a kiss upon her hand, and, looking there, she beheld her brother, who wept with joy. "Where am I?" asked she, feebly. "You are with those who love you best, darling," said Fernando, joyfully. "With us, who have prayed so long, that the good God has heard and restored you to life. " "I still live, then," said she, sadly. "And how long have I lain here, friends?" The priest advanced, and blessing her, took her by the hand. "For four weeks, daughter, you have been unconscious of every thing that passed around you. You see, therefore, that your heav- enly Father bids you live. " " Four weeks?" whispered the poor girl. " Then, in three months we shall meet again. " She closed her eyes, and lay silent for a while. At length, the priest, bending close to her ear, whispered, " Think, daughter, of the vows, which, by the memory of your mother, you have made to God !" " I will remember them, " murmured she, sadly. And from this day she mended, until life and strength were re- stored to her even as before. She thought of her vow, and made no resistance to the will, of Heaven; but she hoped for death, and awaited her three months. Sustained by these hopes, she recovered. But her heart was wounded past all cure ; gone were her smiles and her songs. Quietly, sadly, and solemnly glided away the new life to which she had been bom through death. The first day on which she felt able to leave her room, she sent to crave an audience of her father. She had been told that, during her delirium, he had often visited her chamber ; but, since her con- valescence, he had not sent so much as an inquiry after her health. THE AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY. 57 He did not, however, deny the interview she sought. He awaited his daughter, said the messenger, in his own apartments. The princess shuddered, and a deadly faintness came over her. "My God ! my God 1 will I ever be able to go through this bitter hour? Must I, indeed, look upon him who — " She closed her eyes to shut out the frightful remembrance. Then, gathering all her strength for the trial, she rose to seek her father, and make one last request of him. With her head thrown proudly back, and her dark eyes flashing with resolve, she entered his cabinet. The duke was entirely alone. He had dismissed his attendants, and now stood in the centre of the room, awaiting his daughter in gloomy silence. His cold, stern features had grown more repulsive than ever to the unhappy girl ; his piercing eyes more revengeful ; his thin, pale lips more cruel. He seemed to her a pitiless stranger, and she could not advance to meet him. Powerless and faint, she stood at the door ; all her strength gone. A few moments of anguish went by, and then the duke, extend- ing his hand, said, in a tone of command, " Come hither, Isabella. " She stepped forward, and almost touched his hand, when, shud- dering, her arm dropped heavily down, and, forgetting all caution, she murmured, in tones of deepest agony, " I cannot ! I cannot !" The duke's eyes shot fire, as he, too, dropped his extended hand, and deep, angry folds wrinkled his forehead. "Why have you desired this interview?" asked he. " I have a request to prefer, niy father, " replied Isabella. He bent his head. " Speak, " said he. " I come to entreat of my father the permission to take the veil. " "And wherefore, I should like to know?" said the duke, care- lessly. " That I may dedicate my few remaining days to the service of the Lord. " " Girlish folly !" said he, with a contemptuous laugh, while he paced up and down the room. Isabella made no reply, but stood awaiting a more direct answer to her petition. Suddenly, he came up to her, and spoke : " I cannot grant your request, " said he. " I have other plans for you. The grandchild of the King of Spain cannot be permitted to die a penitent in a cloister ; if she has atonement to make for crime, let her make it, not imder the serge of the nun, but under the purple of the empress. " "I have no ambition," said Isabella, trembling. "Allow me, I entreat you, to enter a convent. " " I repeat that I have other plans for you. I, too, have no ambi- tion for ycm, " said the father, coldly, " but I am ambitious for my house, and through you I shall attain my end. One of the greatest monarchs of Europe has sought your hand for the heir of her throne, and I have resolved that you shall become his wife. " " Fate will refuse it to him— Fate, more merciful than my father. I have but a few weeks to live— before a month has elapsed, I shall be in my grave. " "Go there, if it pleases you, " cried the duke, "but die with royal robes about you. You shall not die a nun. " "No one on earth, my father, has a right to detain me. If your highness refuse your consent, I will fly to a convent without your 58 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. permission. And princely though you be, you shall not drag from the altar the bride of the Lord. " "Ah, you rebel against my authority!" cried the duke, with a look that sent a deadly pang to the heart of his daughter. " Know, that I have power to judge you for such treason, and lay your de- fiant head upon the block !" "I do not fear death," replied Isabella; "I await it with impa- tience. " " Ah ! you are possessed with a lovesick desire to die ! But hear what I have to say, and mark it well. I will relate to you an affair that took place— whilst you were ill. The only son of one of the noblest families in Parma, the pride of his race, and the idol of his parents, conceived a plot against my house, whose treason was equal to parricide. I learned his designs ; and with my own eyes and my own ears, I verified his guilt. He was an archtraitor ; he had de- served to die on the scaffold. But I had pity on his family, and spared them the disgrace of a public execution. I took his life secretly, and his parents are spared the shame of knowing how he died. Shall I tell you the name of this dead traitor?" Isabella raised her hand, and parting her blanched lips, she said hoarsely, " No no ! in mercy, no !" " Very well, then I proceed. This traitor, whom I judged, and to whom I dealt his death-stab, had an accomplice. Do you listen?" Like a broken lily, Isabella's head sank down upon her breast. "Ah! you listen. The accomplice is placed in a position which makes it inexpedient for me to punish her in her own person. But should she thwart me, should she not fully and cheerfully comply with my demands upon her loyalty, I will see that she suffers more than death in the family of her accomplice. I shall publish the guilt of the dead criminal to the whole world ; I will disgrace and dishonor his whole race, and his young sister, with her parents, shall be driven penniless from my reahns, to beg or starve in a stranger land. " " Kather !" cried the wretched girl, wMe her every limb quivered with the torture he inflicted, "I am readfchto do your will. I will marry whom you choose, and so long as ftTSd condemns me to earth, I will obey you in all things. But you shall promise me on your princely honor to shield from all shame or hai-m the family of — of — the deceased ; to befriend his sister, and if she should ever wish to marry, to honor and favor her choice. Promise me this, and as long as I live I submit to your will. " " I promise, on my honor, to do all this, and to forget for their sakes the crime of their son. " " I promise also, on my sacred honor, to accept the husband you have chosen for me. But I will not suffer long, for my life is almost spent. " The duke shrugged his shoulders. "Your highness," continued his daughter, "will inform me on what day I am to be affianced. I await your commands, and beg your highness 's permission to withdraw to my apartments." " Have you nothing more to say to your father, Isabella?" asked he in a faltering voice. " Nothing more to say to your royal highness. " She courtesied deeply, and, without a glance at her father, left the room. The duke looked after her with an expression of sorrow. " I have THE AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY. 59 lost her forever 1" said he. " When I struck him, I pierced her heart also. Well, so let it be 1 Better a dead child than a dishonored house !" He then rang a little golden bell, and ordered preparations to be made for another grand hunt on the morrow. Isabella accepted her destiny nobly. She resolved to fulfil her promises strictly ; but she hoped that God would be satisfied with the sacrifice, and release her before the day of her nuptials. Finally came the day on which, for the third time, she had hoped to die. She felt a solemn joy steal over her heart, and she desired her maids of honor to deck her in bridal white. Her dark hair was wreathed with orange-blossoms, and in her bosom she wore an orange-bud. She was lovely beyond expression, and her attendants whispered among themselves, though Isabella neither saw nor heard them. She who awaited death took no heed of what was going on around her in the palace. And yet her stake in that palace was great. On the day before the embassy had arrived, which was to change her fate, and open to her a new life at the court of the Austrian empress. The duke had received his guests with royal courtesy. But he had besought the count to postpone his interview with the princess until the morrow ; for with cruel mockery of his child's sorrow, Philip of Parma had contrived that the day on which she had hoped to meet her dead lover, should be the day of her betrothal to the Archduke of Austria. Isabella was the only person in the palace who had not heard of the arrival. She had withdrawn into her private cabinet, and there she counted every pulsation of her heart. She dared not liope to die a natural death ; she was looking forward to some accident that was to release her from life ; something direct from the hand of God she thought would, on that day, make good the prophecy of her lover. She hoped, watched, prayed. She was startled from her solitude by a knocking at the door, and her father's voice called for admis- sion. The princes, obedient to her promise, rose and opened the door. Her father surveyed her with a smile of derision. " You have done well, " said he, " to deck yourself as a bride ; not as the bride of Death, but as the affianced wife of the living lover who will one day make you empress of Austria. His ambassador awaits us now in the great hall of state. Follow me into the next room, where your maids of honor are assembled to attend you. Mark me, Isabella! When we arrive in the hall, the ambassador will advance, and in terms befitting the honor conferred, he will request your acceptancf of the archduke's hand. I leave it to your tact and discretion to answer him as becomes the princess of a great and royal house. " "And will your highness perform your promise to mef" asked Isabella calmly. "Shall his parents live secure in possession of their noble name and estates ; and shall his sister be the special ob- ject of your highness's protection and favor?" "I will do all this, provided you give me satisfaction as relates to your marriage. " Isabella bowed. "Then I am ready to accompany your royal highness to the hall of state, and to accept with courtesy the offer of the Austrian ambassador. " Forth went the beautiful martyr and her train through the goi . 60 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. geous apartments of the palace, until they reached the hall of the throne. In the centre of the hall the duke left his daughter and her attendants, while he mounted the throne and took his seat upon the ducal chair. And now advanced Count Bathiany. With all the fervor which her matchless beauty inspired, he begged of the princess her fair hand for his future sovereign the Archduke of Austria. As the count ceased, every eye turned toward the infanta. She had listened with calm dignity to the words of the ambassador, and her large, melancholy eyes had been riveted upon his face while he delivered his errand. There was a pause — a few moments were needed by that broken heart to hush its meanings, and bare itself for the sac- rifice. The brow of the duke darkened, and he was about to inter- pose, when he saw his daughter bow her head. Then she spoke, and every one bent forward to listen to the silvery tones of her voice. "I feel deeply honored," said she, "by the preference of her im- perial majesty of Austria ; an alliance with her eldest son is above my deserts ; but since it is their desire, I accept the great honor conferred upon me. I regret, however, that their majesties should have directed their choice toward me ; for I am convinced that I shall not live long enough to fulfil the destiny to which this marriage calls me. " * When at last the ceremonies of this day of agony were ended ; when the infanta had dismissed her ladies of honor, and was once more alone — alone with God and with the past, she threw herself upon her couch, and, with her hands meekly folded across her breast, she lay, looking up, far beyond the palace dome to heaven. There she prayed until midnight, and when the clock had told the hour, she arose to the new life that awaited her, with its new promises, new expectations, new ties — but no new hopes. "Heavenly Father," exclaimed she, "it has begun, and I will bear it to the bitter end ! I am now the betrothed, and soon will be the wife of another. If I have sinned in my consent to marry one whom I can never love, pardon me, O Lord ! and hear me vow that I will faithfully fulfil my duty toward him. I am the affianced of another! Farewell, my beloved, farewell, FOB THREE LONG YEARS !" CHAPTER XV. THE DKEAM OF LOVE. The wedding-festival was over, and Vienna was resting from the fatigue of the brilliant entertainments by which the marriage of the archduke had been followed, both in court and city. And indeed the rejoicings had been conducted with imperial magnificence. For eight days, the people of Vienna, without respect of rank, had been admitted to the palace, to witness the court festivities ; while in the city and at Sohonbrvmn, nightly balls were given at the expense of the empress, where the happy Viennese danced and feasted to their hearts' content. * The infanta's own words ; as veritably historical as is this whole relation of her death-prophecy and its unhappy fulfllment. SeeWrasaU, "Memoirs of the Courts," etc., and Caroline Pichler. THE DREAM OF LOVE. 61 They had returned the bounty of their sovereign by erecting triumphal arches, strewing the ground with flowers, and rending the air with shouts, whenever the young archduchess had appeared in the streets. The great maestro Gluck had composed an opera for the occasion ; and when, on the night of its representation, the empress made her appearance in the imperial loge, followed by the archduke and his bride, the enthusiasm of the people was so great that Gluok waited a quarter of an hour, Mton in hand, before he could begin his over- ture. But now the jubilee was over, the shouts were hushed, the people had returned to their accustomed routine of life, and the exchequer of the empress was minus — one million of florins. The court had withdrawn to the palace of Schonbrunn, there to enjoy in privacy the last golden days of autumn, as well as to afford to the newly- married pair a taste of that retirement so congenial to lovers. Maria Theresa, always muniflcent, had devoted one wing of the palace to the exclusive use of her young daughter-in-law ; and her apartments were fitted up with the last degree of splendor. Elegant mirrors, buhl and gilded furniture, costly turkey carpets and exquisite paintings, adorned this princely home ; and as the prin- cess was known to be skilled both as a painter and musician, one room was fitted up for her as a studio, and another as a music-hall. From the music-room, a glass door led to a balcony filled with rare and beautiful flowers. This balcony overlooked the park, and beyond was seen the city, made lovely by the soft gray veil of dis- tance, which lends such beauty to a landscape. On this perfumed balcony sat the youthful pair. Isabella reclined in an arm-chair ; and at her feet on a low ottoman sat Joseph, look- ing up into her face, his eyes beaming with happiness. It was a lovely sight — that of these two young creatui-es, who, in the sweet, still evening, sat together, unveiling to one another the secrets of two blameless hearts, and forgetting rank, station, and the world, were tasting the pure joys of happily wedded love. The evening breeze whispered Nature's soft low greeting to them both ; and through the myrtle-branches that, hanging over the balcony, clustered around Isabella's head, the setting sun flung showers of gold that lit up her face with the glory of an angel. Bright as an angel seemed she to her husband, who, sitting at her feet, gazed enraptured upon her. How graceful he thought the contour of her oval face ; how rich the scarlet of her lovely mouth ; what noble thoughts were written on her pale and lofty brow, and how glossy were the masses of her raven black hair ! And those wondrous eyes ! Dark and light, lustrous and dim, at one moment they flashed with intellect, at another they glistened with unshed tears. Her form, too, was slender and graceful, for Nature had denied her nothing ; and the charm of her appearance (above all, to an eye weary of splendor) was made complete by the vapory muslin dress that fell around her perfect figure like a silver- white cloud. The only ornament that flecked its snow was a bunch of pink roses, which the archduke with his own hand had culled for his wife that morning. She wore them in her bosom, and they were the crown- ing beauty of that simple, elegant dress. Isabella's head rested airongst the myrtle-branches; her eyes 63 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. were fixed upon the heavens, with a look of ineffable sadness, and gradually the smile had died from her lips. Her countenancecon- trasted singularly with that of the archduke. Since his marriage, he had grown handsomer than ever ; and from his bright expressive face beamed the silent eloquence of a young and joyful existence. In his joy he did not see the painful shadows that were darken- ing his wife's pale beauty. For a while, a deep stillness was about them. Flooded by the gold of the setting sun, lay the park at their feet ; farther off glimmered the domes of St. Stephen at Vienna, and faint over the evening air came the soothing tones of the vesper-bell. " How beautiful is the world !" said Joseph, at length ; and, at the sound of his voice, suddenly breaking the stillness that had been so congenial to her reveries, Isabella started. A slight shiver ran through her frame, and her eyes unwillingly came back to earth. He did not see it. " Oh, how loVely is life, my Isabella, now that the music of thy heart replies to mine ! - Never has earth seemed to me so full of beauty, as it does now that I call thee wife. " Isabella laid her soft hand upon her husband's head, and looked at him for a while. At length she stifled a sigh, and said, "Are you then happy, my husband?" He drew down the little hand that was resting on his blonde curls, and kissed it fervently. "A boon, my beloved. When we are alone, let us banish Spanish f omality from our intercourse. Be the future empress before the world, but to me be my wife, and call me ' thou. ' " " I will, " replied she, blushing. " And I repeat my question, art thou happy, my husband?" " I will tell thee, dearest. There seems within me such a flood of melody seeking voice, that sometimes, for very ecstasy, I feel as if I must shout aloud all the pent-up joy that other men have frit- tered away from boyhood, and I have garnered up for this hour. Again I feel intoxicated with happiness, and fear that I am dream- ing. I tremble lest some rude hand awake me, and I look around for proof of my sober, waking bliss. I find it, and then breaks forth my soul in hosannas to God. And when, mingling among men, I see a face that looks sad or pale, I feel such sympathy for him who is less happy than I, that I make vows, when I am em- peror, to heal all sorrow, and wipe away all tears. Then come great and noble aspirations, and I long to give back to my people the blessings with which they greeted thee, my own Isabella. This is not one feeling, but the meeting of many. Is it happiness, dearest?" " I cannot tell, " replied she ; " for happiness is a thing so heavenly in its nature, that one hardly dares to give it a name, lest it take flight, and soar back to its home above the skies. Let us not press it too closely, lest we seek it and it be gone. " " We shall do as it pleases thee, " said Joseph, snatching her two hands, and pressing them to his heart. "I know that when thou art by, Happiness is here, and she cannot go back to heaven, unless she take thee too. " And again he looked at his wife, as if he would fain have blended their dual being into one. " I wish to make thee a confession, Isabel, " resumed he. " It is a great crime, dearest, but thou wilt give me absolution, I know. As I look back, I can scarce believe it myself, but — hear. When the empress gave me thy miniature, beautiful though it was, I gave my consent to marry, but my heart was untouched. When Count THE DREAM OF LOVE. 63 Bathiany departed on his mission, I prayed that every obstacle might encumber his advance : and oh, my beloved ! when I heard that thou wert coming, I almost wished thee buried under Alpine avalanches. When I was told of thy arrival, I longed to fly away from Vienna, from rank and royalty, to some far country, some se- cluded spot, w^here no reasons of state policy would force me to give my hand to an unknown bride. "Was I not a barbarian, sweetest, was I not an arch-traitor?" " No, thou wert only a boy -prince, writhing under the heavy load of thy royalty. " " No, I was a criminal ; but oh, how I have expiated my sin ! When I saw thee my heart leaped into life ; and now it trembles lest thou love not me! But thou wilt love me, wilt thou not? thou who hast made me so happy that I wish I had a hundred hearts ; for one is not enough to contain the love I feel for thee !" * Isabella was gazing at him with a melancholy smile. " Dreamer !" said she, in a low trembling tone, that sounded to Joseph like heav- enly music — ^" dreamer! the heart that through God's goodness is filled with love is of itself supernaturally magnified ; for love is a revelation from heaven. " " Sweet priestess of love 1 how truly thou art the interpreter of our passion ! For it is ours, my Isabella, is it not? It is our love of which we speak, not mine alone. I have confessed to thee ; now do the same by me. Tell me, my wife, didst thou hate the man to whom thy passive hand was given, without one thought of thee or of thy heart's predilections? " How little he guessed the torture he inflicted I He looked into her eyes with such trusting faith, with such calm security of happi- ness, that her sweet face beamed with tender pity, while her cheeks deepened into scarlet blushes, as she listened to his passionate decla- rations of love. Poor Isabella ! " No, " said she, " no, I never hated thee, Joseph. I had already heard enough to feel esteem for my future husband ; and, therefore, I did not hate, I pitied him. " "Pity him, my own, and wherefore?" " Because without consulting his heart, he was affianced to an un- known girl, unworthy to be the partner of his brilliant destiny. Poor Isabella of Parma was never made to be an empress, Joseph." " She was, she was ! She is fit to be empress of the world, for all poetry, all goodness, all intellect and beauty look out from the depths of her lustrous eyes. Oh, look upon me, star of my life, and prom- ise to guide me ever with thy holy light !" So saying, he took her in his arms, and pressed her to his tender, manly heart. " Promise me, beloved, " whispered he, " promise never to leave me." "I promise," said the pale wife, "never to forsake thee, until God calls me hence to — " "Oh !" interrupted Joseph, "may that hour never strike till I be in heaven to receive thee ; for love is selfish, Isabella, and my daily prayer is now, that thy dear hand may close my eyes. " "God will not hear that prayer, Joseph," replied Isabella; and as she spoke, her head sank upon his shoulder, and her long hair fell from its fastening, and, like a heavy mourning-veil, shrouded * These are his own words. Caroeeioli " Life of Joseph II." 64 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. them both. Her husband held her close to his heart, and as he kissed her, she felt his tears drop upon her cheek. "I do not know," said he, "why it is, but I feel sometimes as if a tempest were gathering above my head. And yet, the heavens are cloudless, the sun has set ; and see, the moon rises, looking in her pale beauty, even as thou dost, my love. She has borrowed loveli- ness from thee to-night, for, surely, she was never so fair before. But all seems lovely when thou art near, and, I think, that, per- chance—thou lovest me. Tell me, Isabella, tell me, dearest, that thou dost love me. " She raised her head, and met his passionate gaze with a look so sad that his heart grew cold with apprehension. Then her eyes turned heavenward, and her lips moved. He knew that she was praying. But why, at such a moment? " Tell me the truth !" cried he, vehemently—" tell me the truth !" " I cannot answer thee in words, " murmured Isabella, "but thou shalt have music — love's own interpreter. Come, let us go into the music-room. " And, light as a fairy, she tripped before, opening herself the door, though he strove to prevent her. " No, this is my temple, and my hands unclose the doors, " said she, once more self-possessed. Her husband followed her, enchanted. She looked around at the various instruments, and struck a few chords on the piano. "No. This is too earthly. My own favorite instrument shall speak for me. " So saying, she opened a case that lay on the table, and took from it a violin. " This, " said she to her husband, " is the violin that came with me from Italy. " " How, Isabella, " exclaimed he, " dost thou play on my favorite instrument?" " The violin, to me, is dear above all instruments, " replied she ; " it alone has tones that respond to those of the human heart. " * With indescribable grace she raised the violin to her shoulder, and began to play. At first her chords were light and airy as the sounds from an Molisiii harp ; then the melody swelled until it broke into a gush of harmony that vibrated through every chord of the archduke's beating heart. As he stood breathless and entranced, she seemed to him like that picture, by Fiesole, of the angel that com- forts the dying. This picture had "always been, above all others, the archduke's favorite, and nowitstood embodied before him, aliving, breathing divinity. The music died away to his ear, though still she played ; but now it seemed to stream from her eyes that shone like luminous stars, and flow from her softly moving lips, that whispered to the spirits which now low, now loud, laughed, sighed, or sobbed out their re- sponses from the magic violin. Isabella was no longer a woman and his wife. She was a glori- fied spirit ; and now he trembled lest his angel should vanish, and leave him nothing but the memory of a heavenly vision. His eyes filled with tears ; a convulsive sigh broke from his breast, and, bury- ing his face in his hands, he sank down upon the sofa. * The infanta, who played on several instruments, excelled on the violin. WraxalL vol. ii., page 390. THE DREAM OF LOVE. 65 A light shudder ran through Isabella's frame ; her eyes, which had wandered far, far beyond the portals that shut us out from heaven, looked wildly around. Her husband's sigh had awakened her from a blissful dream, and once more her weary heart sank des- olate to the earth. But with an expression of tenderest pity she turned toward him and smiled. Then her music changed ; it pealed out in rich harmony, fit for mortal ears. She saw her complete mas- tery over the archduke's soul ; his eyes grew bright and joyful once more, and from his countenance beamed the light of perfect con- tentment. " Our epithalamium ! " exclaimed he, overjoyed, and no longer able to control his exultation, he darted from his seat, and claeped the dear musician in his arms. " I thank thee, my Isabella, " said he, with a voice that trembled with excess of happiness. " Yes, this is the voice of love ; thou hast answered me with our wedding-song. In this melody is drowned every bitter remembrance of my life ; the discords of the past have melted into richest harmony — for thou returnest my love. A thou- sand times I thank thee ; this hour is sacred to me forever. " Thou hast said that thou lovest me, " continued the happy hus- band, "and now I feel the power and strength of a god. I am ready for the battle of life." " But I think that I saw the god weep. Poor mortal friend, gods shed no tears — tears are the baptism of humanity. " " Oh, gods must weep for joy, Isabella, else they could not feel its perfection !" "May Heaven grant that thou weep no other tears!" said the wife, solemnly. " But hear, " continued she, raising her little hand, "the palace clock strikes eight, and we promised her majesty to spend this evening with the imperial family circle. We must be punctual, and I have scarcely time to dress. " "Why, wilt thou change that sweet simple dress? Art thou not always the pride of the court? Come— thy muslin and roses will shame all the silk and jpwels of my sisters. Come !" She laid her hand gpntly upon the arm that drew her forward, and courtesied before him with mock ceremony. "My lord and husband," said she, laughing, "although your im- perial highness has banished Madame Etiquette from our balcony, remember that she stands grimly awaiting us by yonder door, and we must take her with us into the presence of our august empress. Madame Etiquette would never permit me to pass in this simple dress. She would order me indignantly from her sight, and your highness also. Go, therefore, and don your richest Spanish habit. In fifteen minutes I await your highness here. " She made another deep dourtesy. The archduke, takmg up the jest, approached her, and, kissing her hand, replied : "I obey your imperial highness, as your loyal husband and lov- ing subject. I shall deck myself with stars and orders; and in princely splendor I shall return, as becomes the spouse of the arch- duchess of Austria. Your highness's obedient servant" And in true Spanish fashion, he bent his knee and kissed the hem of her robe. Backing out of her presence he bowed again as he reached the door, but catching her laughing eyes, he suddenly dashed right over Madame Etiquette, and catching his wife in his arms, he gave her a last and a right burgher-like kiss. The archduke was 66 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. very happy, and the archduchess— well 1 One day God will reward her! As the door closed, the expression of her face changed. The smile died from her lips, and her eyes were dim with tears. " Poor boy !" murmured she, " he loves me, and I— I suffer him to believe that I return his love, while— But I am right, " said the devoted girl, and she clasped her hands convulsively together. " O my Saviour !" cried she, " in mercy give me grace while I live, to be true to the vows, that before thine altar, I have sworn to the Archduke of Austria ! It were cruel in me to wound his noble heart — cruel to awake him from his dream of love ! Let him at least be happy while I live ; and Lord give me strength that I faint not under my burden !" CHAPTER XVI. • GLUCK. The sun had risen, flooding the earth with light, and the people of Vienna had already begun their labors for the day. But the cur- tains had not yet been drawn from a richly-furnished room, whose walls were lined with books ; and in whose centre stood a table cov- ered with papers, whereon the lights, not yet extinguished, were dropping their waxen tears from two lofty silver candelabra. At this table sat a man, looking earnestly at a paper covered with notes of music. He had sat there the whole night long, and his counte- nance gave no indication of the exhaustion that follows upon night- watching. His large, dark, gray eyes flashed whenever he raised his head thoughtfully, as he frequently did ; and when music was born of his thoughts, a smile illuminated his otherwise plain face, and a wonderful light played about his magnificent forehead ; the glory of that genius which had made it her dwelling-place. The form of this man was as striking as his face. Tall and com- manding in stature, his wide shoulders seenaed proudly to bear the weight of the head that towered above them, and in his lofty bear- ing there was a dignity that betokened either rank or genius. He had both ; for this man was Christopher von Gluck, son of a huntsman of Prince Eugene, who was born in 1714, in the village of Weidenwang. This son of the poor huntsman was known throughout all Europe ; and in Italy, the nobles in their palaces and the people on the streets sang the melodies of Phedra, Antigone, Semiramide, and Telemacco. In Germany he was less known ; and in Vienna alone, was he truly appreciated. There he sat, unconscious of the daylight. On a chair at his side lay a violin and a flute ; near them, a violoncello leaned against the wall, and within reach of his hand stood one of those upright pianos just then coming into fashion. At one moment he wrote rapidly, at another he hummed a mel- ody ; again, half declaiming, half singing, he read off a recitative; and then bent over and wrote with all his might. The light began to smoke, and the wax dropped over his music, but he saw none of it ; neither saw he the daylight that had replaced his candles. He was so absorbed in his work as not to hear a knock at his door. GLUCK. 67 But now the knock was repeated ; and this time so distinctly that it waked him from his dream of harmony, and he frowned. He rose, and striding to the door, withdrew the bolt. The door opened, and a tall, elegant woman, in a tasteful morn- ing-dress came in. Her fine, regular features were disturbed, and her eyes were red with weeping or watching. When she saw Gluok looking so fresh and vigorous, she smiled, and said, "Heaven be praised, you are alive and well ! I have passed a night of anxious terror on your account. " ••And why, Marianne?" asked he, his brow unbent, and his face beaming witti tenderness ; for Gluck idolized his beautiful wife. She looked at his quiet, inquiring face, and broke into a merry laugh. "Oh, the barbarian," cried she, "not to know of what he has been guilty of ! Why, Christopher, look at those burnt-out wax lights — look at the daylight wondering at you through your cur- tains. Last night, at ten o'clock, T lit these candles, and you prom- ised to work for only two hours more. Look at them now, and see what you have been doing. " "Indeed, I do believe that I have been here all night, "said Gluck, with naive astonishment. " But I assure you, Marianne, that I fully intended to go to bed at the end of two hours. Is it my fault if the night has seemed so short? Twelve hours since we parted? Can it be?" He went to the window and drew the curtains. " Day !" cried he, "and the sun so bright !" He looked out with a smile ; but suddenly his brow grew thoughtful, and he said in a low voice : " Oh, may the light of day shine upon me also !" His wife laid her- hand upon his arm. "And upon whom falls the light of day, if not upon you?" asked she, reproachfully. "Look back upon your twenty operas, and see each one bearing its laurel- wreath, and shouting to the world your fame ! And now look into the future, and see their unborn sisters, whose lips one day wiU open to the harmony of your music, and will teach all nations to love your memory ! And I, Christopher, I believe more in your future than in your past successes. If I did not, think you that I would in- dulge you as I do in your artistic eccentricities, and sit like a love- lorn maiden outside of this door, my ear strained to listen for your breathing — dreading lest some sudden stroke should have quenched the light of that genius which you overtask— yet daring not to ask entrance, lest my presence should aflEright your other loves, the Muses? Yes, my dear husband, I have faith in the power of your genius ; and for you this glorious sun has risen to-day. Chase those clouds from the heaven of yoiu: brow. They are ill-timed. " In the height of her enthusiasm she twined her arms around his neck, and rested her head upon Gluck's bosom. He bent down and kissed her forehead. "Then, my wife has faith, not in what I have done, but in what I can do? Is it so, love? " It is, Christopher. I believe in the power of your genius. " Gluck's face wore an expression of triumph as she said this, and he smiled. His smile was very beautiful, and ever, when she saw it, his wife felt a thrill of happine,ss. Never had it seemed to her so full of heavenly inspiration. "Since such is your faith in me, my Egeria, you will then have courage to hear what I have to tell. Tear away the laurel -wreaths 68 JOSEPH 11. AND HIS COURT. from my past, works, Marianne — bum them to ashes. They are dust, and to dust they -will surely return. Their mirth and their melody, their pomp and their pathos, are all lies. They are not the true children of inspiration — they are impostors. They are the offspring of our aflfected and falsely sentimental times, and deserve not im- mortality. Away with them I A new day shall begin for me, or I shall hide my head in bitter solitude, despising my race, who applaud the juggler, and turn away in coldness from the veritable artiste. " "What!" exclaimed Marianne, "those far-famed operas that de- light the world — are they nothing more than clever deceptions?" " Nothing more, " cried Gluck. " They did not gush from the holy fount of inspiration ; they were composed and arranged to suit the taste of the public and the dexterity of the singers, who, if they trill and juggle with their voices, think that they have reached the sum- mit of musical perfection. But this must no longer be. I have written for time, I shall now work for immortality. Let me inter- pret what the angels have whispered, and then you shall hear a lan- guage which nothing but music can translate. What are the lame efforts of speech by the side of its thrilling tones? Music is a divine revelation, but men have not yet received it in their hearts. I have been made its messenger, and I shall speak the message faithfully. " "Ah, Christopher," interposed Marianne, "I fear you will find no followers. If the message be too lofty for the hearers, the mes- senger will be driven away in disgrace. " "Hear the coward !" cried Gluck vehemently; "see the woman's nature shrinking from the path of honor because it is beset with dan- ger. I did well not to let you know the nature of my last labors, for with your sighs and oroakings you would have turned me back again into the highway of falsehood. But you are too late, poltroon. The work is done, and it shall see light. " Gluck looked at his wife's face, and the expression he saw there made him pause. He was already sorry, and ready to atone. " No, no ! I wrong you, my Egeria : not only are you the wife of my love, but the friend of my genius. Come, dearest, let us brave the world together ; and even if that fail us, let us never doubt the might of truth and the glory of its interpreters. " So saying, Gluck reached out his hands ; and his wife, with a trusting smile, laid both hers upon them. " How can you doubt me, Christopher?" asked she. "Look back into the past, to the days of our courtship, and say then who was faint-hearted, and who then declared that his little weight of grief was too heavy for those broad shoulders to bear. " "I ! I !" confessed Gluck ; "but I was in love, and a man in love is always a craven. " " And I suppose, " laughed Marianne, " that I was not in love, which will account for my energy and patience on that occasion. To think that my rich father thought me too good for Gluck I — Heaven forgive me, but I could not mourn him as I might have done, had his death not left me free to marry you, you ill-natured giant. Yes ! and now that twelve years have gone by, I love you twice as well as I did ; and God, who knew there was no room in my heart for other loves, has given me no children, for I long for none. You are to me husband, lover, friend, and— you need not shake your head, sir —you are child, too. Then why have you kept your secrets from me— tell me, traitor, why?" GLUCK. 69 " Not because you were faint-hearted, my beloved, " said Gluck with emotion ; " my violent temper wronged us both, when it pro- voked me to utter a word so false. But genius must labor in secret and in silence ; its works are like those enchanted treasures of which we have read— speak of their existence, and lo ! they are ashes. Sometimes genius holds an enchanted treasure before the eyes of the artiste, who in holy meditation must earn it for himself. One word spoken breaketh the spell, and therefore it was, Marianne, that I spoke not the word. But the treasure is mine ; I have earned it, and at my wife's feet I lay it, perchance that she may stand by my side, while the world rejects it as worthless, and heaps obloquy upon my head. " " His will be a bold hand that casts the first stone at the giant !" said Marianne, looking proudly upon the tall and stalwart figure of her husband. " You call me giant, and that recalls to me a fact which bears upon the subject of our conversation now, " said Gluck, with a laugh. " It was the fall of my ' Giant ' that first showed me the precipice toward which I, my works, and all my musical predecessors, were hastening. '° "You mean your 'Cac/wta de Giganti, ' which you tried to exhibit before those icy English people?" " Do not speak against the English, Marianne ; they are a good, upright nation. It is not their fault if they are better versed in book- keeping than in music ; and I do not know that they are far wrong when they prefer the chink of gold to the strumming and piping which, until now, the world, turning up the whites of its eyes, has called music. I, who had been piping and strumming with the rest, suddenly rushed out of the throng, and thrusting my masterpiece in their faces, told them that it was music. Was it their fault if they turned their backs and would not believe me? I think not." " Oh ! you need not excuse the English, Christopher. I know the history of the ' Caduta de Cfiganti, ' although Master Gluck has never told it me. I know that the young artist met with no favor at Eng- lish hands ; and I know that because his works were not a lame rep- etition of Italian music and water, the discerning Londoners voted it worthless. I know, too, that Master Gluck, in his distress, took counsel with the gi-eat Handel, and besought him to point out the opera's defects. Then said Handel — " "How, dear prattler, you know what Handel said?" "I do, Master Gluck. Handel said: 'You have given yourself too much trouble, man . To please the English public you must make a great noise. Give them plenty of brass and sheep-skin. ' " " So he did, " cried Gluck, convulsed with laughter. " I followed his advice. I sprinkled the choruses with trumpet and drum, and the second time the opera came out it was a complete success." Marianne joined in the mirth of her husband. "But now, if all this is true, why do you like the English?" " Because my failure in England taught me the utter worthless- ness of our present school of music, and inspired me with the desire to reform it. " , , ^, j . t. i. • He drew her arm within his, and seated her on the divan by his side. 70 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. CHAPTER XVII. THE NEW OPERA. " Now, Marianne, " said he, putting his arm around her waist, " hear the secret history of my musical career. I will tell you of the misfortunes which my genius has encountered through life. I begin with England. It is of no use to go back to the privations of my boyhood, though they were many ; for hunger and thirst are the tribute that man must pay to fate for the capital which genius gives to him, and which he must increase with all his might and all his strength. Even as a boy, I craved less for bread than for fame ; and I consecrated my life and soul to art. I thought that I was in the right way, for I had written eight operas, which the Italians lauded to the skies. But the ' Caduta de CHganti ' was a failure, and ' Arta- mene ' likewise. This double ^sco enraged me (you know my bad temper, Marianne). I could not bear to be so misconceived. I was determined to show the English that, in spite of them, I was an art- iste. Ilonged to bring them to my feet, as Jupiter did the Titans. So I ordered from one of those poetasters to be found in every land, a sort of libretto, called, in theatrical parlance, a lyric drama ; and to the words of this monstrosity I aiTanged the very finest airs of my several operas. When I had completed this musical kaleidoscope I called it ' Pyramus and Thisbe. ' I dished up my olla podrida, and set it before the hungry English ; but they did not relish it. The public remained cold, and, what was far worse, I remained cold myself. I thought OTer this singular result, and wondered how it was that music which, as a part of the operas for which it was written, had seemed so full of soul, now faded into insipidity when transplanted to the soil of other dramatic situations. I found the answer in the question. It was because I had transplanted my music from its native soil, that its beauty had flown. Then it burst upon ray mind that the libretto is the father of the opera, the music its mother ; and so, if the father be not strong and lusty, the mother will bring forth a sickly oflfspring, which offspring cannot grow up to perfection. Now, my operas are sickly, for they are the children of an unsound father, who is no true poet. " " Still, still, rash man 1" whispered Marianne, looking around as though she feared listeners. " Do you forget that the father of your operas is Metastasio?" " I remember it too well ; for many of my works have perished from their union with his weak and sentimental xerses. Perished, in my estimation, I mean ; for to make my operas passable, I have often been obliged to write fiery music to insipid words ; and intro- duce jfioH^itres out of place, that the nightingales might compensate to the world for the shortcomings of the poec. Well, my heart has bled while I wrote such music, and I prayed to God to send me a true poet — one who could write of something else besides love ; one who could rise to the height of my own inspiration, and who could develop a genuine lyric drama, with characters, not personages, and a plot whose interest should increase unto its end. " "And have you found him?" asked Marianne, with a meaning smile. THE NEW OPERA. 71 "I have. Itis— " " Calzabigi, " interrupted she. "How !" cried the fiery Gluck, "after promising secrecy, has he been unable to curb his tongue?" " Nonsense, Christopher ! he has not said a word to me. I guessed this long ago. " " And how comes it that you never hinted a word of it to me 9 " " I waited for the hour when you deemed it best to speak, my love ; for I fully comprehend the reasons for your silence. I waited there- fore until Minerva should come forth, full armed, to challenge Jove's opponents to the strife. Meanwhile I had faith in God and thee, Christopher, and I prayed for Heaven's blessing on thy genius." "Heaven will hear thy prayer, my better self," cried Gluck, drawing his wife close to his heart. " Oh, how happy I feel to be permitted to speak with thee of my past labors ! How gladly shall I listen to thy criticisms or thy approval ! both, more to me than those of all the world beside. Come, Marianne, I will begin now. " He sprang up from the divan, and would have hurried to the piano, but Marianne held him back. " ilfacs^ro, " said she, "before we sacrifice to Apollo, let us give to life and mortality their rights. Prose awaits us in the dining-room, and we shall give her audience before we open the pages of this nameless opera. " ■' You shall hear its name, Marianne. It is — " Marianne put her arms around his neck, and whispered, " Hush, my Orpheus !" " How ! You know that also?" She raised her hand, as if in menace. " Know, Christopher, that little Hymen tolerates no man who has secrets from his wife. You tried to be silent, but betrayed yourself in your sleep. You do not know how often during the night you have called Eurydice in tones of plaintive music. Nor do you know how, as you appealed to the deities of the infernal regions, I shuddered at the power of your weird notes !" " You heard, then, " cried Gluck, enchanted. " And you—" " My friend Prose, Prose calls with angi-y voice. Away to the dining-room ! A man who has revelled all night with the Muses, needs refreshment in the morning. Nay— you need not frown like Jupiter Tonans— you must go with me to eat earthly food, before I taste your nectar and ambrosia. Come, and to reward your indus- try you shall have a glass of Lacrimae Christi from the cellar of the Duke of Bologna. " ,,.,,. She drew him from the room, and succeeded m landing him at the breakfast- table. . , ,, . , " Now I will not hear a word about art, " said Marianne, when the servants had brought in the breakfast. "I am the physician, both of body and mind, and condemn you to a silence of fifteen min- utes. Then you may talk. " " Of my opera, carissima ?" , . , -kt " Heaven forbid ! of the wind and weather— nothing else. Now hush, and drink your chocolate. " , ^ ■, ■ x.- -j. j So Gluck, obedient, drank his chocolate, and ate his biscuit and partridge-wing in silence. , j • All at once; the comfortable stillness was broken by a loud rmg- inff of the door-bell, and a servant announced Signor Calzabigi. Gluck darted off from the table, but Marianne, laughing, brough*^ 72 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. him back again. " First, your glass of Lacrimse Christi, " said she. " Calzabigi will- be indulgent and wait for us a moment. " He took the glass, and inclining his head, drank her health. ■'Marianne," said he cheerfully, "I have been amiable and trac- table as a good child. Enough of Prose, then — give me my freedom now, will you ?" " Yes, maestro ; you are free ; your body is refreshed, and can bear the weight of that strong soul that has no infirmities to impede its flight. Fly, if you list — to Calzabigi !" CHAPTER XVIII. EANIEEO TON CALZABIGI. The door of the drawing-room had scarcely opened before Calza- bigi hastened forward to meet Gluck. But, seeing his wife, he stopped, and made a profound inclination. "Speak out, friend," cried Gluck merrily. "She knows every thing, and think what a treasure of a wife she is ! She has known it all along, without betraying herself by a word. " " And does that surprise you ?" answered Calzabigi. " It does not me, for well I know that the signora is an angel of prudence as well as of goodness. The signora will alio w me to speak before her ? Well, then, maestro, the die is cast. I am just fi'om the house of Count Durazzo, to whom, at your request, I took the opera yesterday. The count sat up all night to examine it ; and this morning, when I was ushered into his room, I found him still in his evening- dress, the score on the table before him. " " Hear, Marianne, " exclaimed Gluck, triumphantly, " it is not only the composer who forgets to sleep for the sake of this opera. And what said the theatrical director, Raniero?" " He said that no intrigue and no opposition should prevent him from representing this magnificent opera. He says that he feels proud of the privilege of introducing such a chef-d'oeuvre to the world. He has ah'eady sent for the transcribers ; he has chosen the performers, and begs of the author to distribute the parts. But every thing must be done at once, for the opera comes out in October to celebrate the birthday of the young Archduchess Isabella. " " That is impossible, " cried Gluck. " We are in July, and such an opera cannot be learned in three months. " "With good- will, it can be done, Christopher," said Marianne, imploringly. " Do not leave your enemies time to cabal against you j snatch the victory from them before they have time for strategy. " " You do not know what you require at my hands, " returned he, passionately. " You do not know how an ill-timed pause or a slighted rest would mar the fair face of my godlike music, and travesty its beauty. " "Hear how he defames himself!" laughed Marianne, "as if it were so easy to desecrate Gluck's masterpiece. " " It is precisely because it is my masterpiece that it is easy to travesty, " returned Gluck, earnestly. " The lines which distinguish the hand of a Raphael from that of a lesser genius are so delicate as to be almost imperceptible. Slight deviations of the pencil have no RANIERO VON CALZABIGI, 73 effect upon a caricature ; but you well know how completely a beau- tiful face may be disfigured by a few unskilful touches. I will cite as an example the aria of ' Orpheus, ' ' Che faro senza Euridice. ' Change its expression by the smallest discrepancy of time or modu- lation, and you transform it into a tune for a puppet-show. In music of this description a misplaced piano or forte, an ill-judged Jioriture, an error of movement, either one, will alter the effect of the whole scene. The opera must, therefore, be rehearsed under my own direction, for the composer is the soul of his opera, and his presence is as necessary to its success as is that of the sun to the creation."* " Well, I am sure, you can manage the whole troupe with that stentor voice of yours, " replied Marianne. "If you do not consent, Gluck," interposed Calzabigi, "they will have to rehearse for the birthday fete an opera of Hasse and Me- tastasio. " "What!" shrieked Gluck, "lay aside my ' Orpheus' for one of Hasse's puny operas? Never! My opera is almost complete. It needs but one last aria to stand out before the world in all its fulness of perfection, and shall I suffer it to be laid aside to give place to one of his tooting, jingling performances? No, no. My 'Orpheus' shall not retire before Hasse's pitiful jeremiades. It shall be forth- coming on the birthday, and I must train the singers by day and by night. " " Right !" exclaimed Marianne, " and we shall crown you with new laurels, Christopher, on that eventful night. " " I am not so sure of that, Marianne. It is easier to criticise than to appreciate, and every thing original or new provokes the opposi- tion of the multitude. In our case, they have double provocation, for Calzabigi 's poem is as original as my music. We have both striven for simplicity, nature, and truth ; we have both discai-ded clap-trap of every sort. Oh, Calzabigi, my friend, how happy for me that I have found such a poet ! If, through his ' Orpheus, ' Gluck is to attain fame, he well knows how much of it is due to the inspi- ration of your noble poem. " " And never, " exclaimed Calzabigi, grasping the extended hand of the composer, "never would the name of poor Calzabigi have been known, had Gluck not borne it along upon the pinions of his own fame. If the world calls me poet, it is because my poem has bor- rowed beauty from Gluck's celestial music." "Yes," said Gluck, laughing, "and if your poem fails, you will be equally indebted to Gluck's music. Those half -learned critics, so numerous in the world, who are far more injurious to art than the ignorant, will rave against our opera. Another class of musical pedants will be for discovering carelessness, and, for aught we know, the majority of the world may follow in their wake, and condemn our opera as barbarous, discordant, and overstrained. " "We must try to forestall all these prejudices, and win the crit- ics to the side of truth and real art, " said Marianne. "The signora is right," said Calzabigi. "It is not so much for our own sake, as for the sake of art, that we should strive to have a fair hearing before the world. We have the powerful party of Metastasio and Hasse to gain. But I will deal with them myself . You, maestro, speak a word of encouragement to Hasse, and he will * These are Gluck's own words. Anton Bchmid, " Life of Gluck," page 152. 74 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COUET. be so overjoyed, that he will laud your opera to the skies. And pray, be a man among men, and do as other composers have done before : pay a visit to the singers, and ask them to bring all their skill to the representation of your great work ; ask them to — " Here, Gluck, boiling over with indignation, broke in upon Cal- zabigi, so as actually to make the poet start back. "What I" cried he, in a voice of thunder, "shall I visit the ladies' maids also, and make them declarations of love? Shall I present each singer with a golden snuff-box, while I entertain the troupe at a supper, where champagne shall flow like water, and Indian birds' - nests shall be served up with diamonds? Shall I present myself in full court-dress at the anteroom of the tenor, and, slipping a ducat in the hand of his valet, solicit the honor of an interview? Shall I then bribe the maid of the prima donna to let me lay upon her mis- tress's toilet- table a poem, a dedication, and a set of jewels? Shame upon you, cravens, that would have genius beg for suffrages from mediocrity i Bather would I throw my ' Orpheus ' behind the fire, and let every opera I have ever written follow it to destruction. I would bite out my tongue, and spit it in Basse's face, sooner than go before him with a mouth full of flattering lies, to befool him with praise of that patchwork he has made, and calls an opera ! When I was obscure and unknown, I scorned these tricks of trade ; and think you that to-day I would stoop to such baseness? Eight years ago, in Rome, a cabal was formed to cause the failure of my ' Trionfo de Camillo, ' Cardinal Albini came to assure me that his influence should put down the plots of my enemies. I thanked him, but re- fused all protection for my opera : and I told his enainence that my works must depend upon their own worth for success.* And you dare, at this time, to come with such proposals to me? You are not worthy of my friendship. I will have nothing further to say to either of you, you cringing puppets !" So saying, with his dark-blue dressing-gown flying out like an angry cloud behind him, Gluck strode across the room, and sailed off to his private study. Marianne, smiling, reached out her hand to the astounded poet. "Forgive his stormy temper," said she, gently ; "he can no more bear contradiction than a spoiled child. His wrath looks formida- ble ; but though there is much thunder, there is no lightning about him. Wait a quarter of an hour, kind friend, and he will be back, suing for pardon, and imploring us to take his hand, just like a naughty child that he is. Then he will smile, and look so ashamed that you will never have the heart to feel resentful. " " I have none already, " replied Calzabigi ; " his thunder has rolled grandly over our heads, and right noble are its sounds ; but the light- ning has spared us. We are safe, and — unconvinced. For, indeed, signora, " continued Eaniero, with earnestness, " we are right. No reliance is ever to be placed upon the justice or good taste of the world, and since the maestro refuses to propitiate his judges, I will undertake the task myself. I shall go at once to Metastasio, and after that I shall invite the performers to a supper. " * This is true. Anton Schmid, page 68. THE BIRTHDAY. 75 CHAPTER XIX. THE BIRTHDAY. It was the birthday of the Archduchess Isabella, and all Vienna was alive with festivity. The passionate love of the archduke for his beautiful young wife was well known, and the people hastened to offer homage to the beloved partner of their future emperor. From early morning the equipages of the nobility were seen hur- rying to the palace, where the archduchess in state, surrounded by the other members of the imperial family, received the congratula- tions of the court. In an adjoining room, on a table of white mar- ble, were exhibited the rich gifts by which her new relatives had testified their affection ; for Isabella was adored by her husband's family. The Emperor Francis, usually so simple, had presented her with a set of jewels, worth half a million ; and the empress, whose joy in the happiness of her son's wedded life knew no bounds, was lavish in her demonstrations of love to the woman who had awakened his heart to gentle emotions. Not only had every variety of rich costumes been ordered for Isa- bella from Paris, but the empress had gone so far as to present a set of bridal jewels to her little grand -daughter, a child scarcely a year old. This magnificent parure of diamonds, sapphires, and pearls, was the admiration of the whole court. Around it lay the offerings of the young sisters-in-law, all of whom, with one exception, had presented something. The Princess Christina, the dearest friend of Isabella, had painted her miniature, and this beautiful likeness was intended as a present to the Archduke Joseph. * He received it with delight ; and while his large blue eyes wandered from the portrait to tlie original, he testified his pleasure by every possible expression of rapture and gratitude. "And yet, " said he, "there is something in this picture which I have never seen in your countenance, Isa- bella. Your eyes, which to me have always seemed to borrow their light from heaven, here look dark and unfathomable, as if within their melancholy depths there lay a secret full of untold sorrow. " Joseph did not perceive the look of intelligence that passed be- tween his wife and sister as he spoke these words ; he still gazed upon the picture, and at last his face, which had been lit up with joy, grew sorrowful and full of thought. Suddenly he laid the mm- iature down, and placing his hands upon Isabella's shoulders, he looked searchingly at her pale countenance. " Look at me, my beloved, " whispered he, tenderly, let me see your bewitching smile, that it may give the lie to yonder stra,nge image I see there your beautiful features, but mstead of my lov- ing and beloved wife, my happy, smiling Isabella, I see an angel, but, oh, I see a martyr, too, dying of some secret sorrow. That is not your face— is it my wife? You have never looked so wretched, so heart-broken ! Speak, Isabella, you are happy, are you not, my °^"Yes,'dear husband," whispered she, scarcely moving her blanched lips, "I am happy and contented in your happmess. But see, the * Wraxall, page 389. 76 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. empress beckons to you. She seems about to present some stranger to your notice. " The archduke left to obey the summons, and Isabella and Chris- tina remained together, looking vacantly upon the birthday-table and the splendid gifts that lay in such rich profusion before their eyes. "Poor brother !" murmured Christina, "he loves as few have ever loved before I And you, dear sister, can you not kindle one spark from the embers of your heart to warm — " " Why speak of my dead heart ?" said Isabella, mournfully. " Did I not long ago confide to you its terrible secret? You, my trusted and dearest friend, have you not seen how I pray Heaven for strength to hold before my husband's eyes the faint ray of light which he mistakes for the sunshine of love? Dear Joseph! His heart is so noble and so rich with love that he sees not the poverty of mine. May God be merciful that his delusion lasfi at least as long as my life ! then will I die happy ; for I shall have done my duty in the face of a sorrow transcending all other sorrows. " Christina bent her head over the glittering heaps before her, that no one might see her tears. But Isabella saw them as they fell upon the bridal gifts of her little daughter. She pointed to the jewels. " See, Christina, your tears are brighter than our dear mother's diamonds. Now, were the emperor here — ■" " Heaven forbid I" said Christina, as with her gossamer handker- chief she wiped away the fallen tear. " If the empress were to know this, she would be justly displeased, that, on such a day, my tears should dim the splendor of your little daughter's bridal jewels. " "Give yourself no concern for my daughter's jewels, Christina ; she will never see her bridal-day. " " How? Do you expect her to be an old maid, like my two eldest sisters?" asked Christina, with assumed playfulness. Isabella laid her hand on Christina's shoulder. " I believe, '' said she, solemnly, "or rather I know, that my daughter will ere long be an angel. " "Oh, Isabella,'' cried Christina, almost impatiently, "is it not enough that you prophesy your own death, to make me wretched, without adding to my grief by predicting that of your child, too?" " I cannot leave her behind, Christina ; I should be unhappy with- out her. She must follow me — but hush ! Here comes the empress — let us be happy for her sake. " And with a sweet smile, Isabella advanced to greet her mother- in-law. " My dearest daughter, " said the empress, " I long for this cere- monial to end, that we may enjoy our happiness en famille. We must dine in private, unless you wish it otherwise, for to-day you are empress of all hearts, and your wishes are commands. " Isabella raised the hand of the empress to her lips. " I have but one wish to-day, your majesty," said she; "it is that you love me.'' " That wish was granted before it was uttered, my beloved child, " replied the empress, tenderly, "for indeed I love you more and more each day of my life ; and when I see you and my son together, your happiness seems like the old melody of my own happy bridal so many years ago. " "And yet, " said Isabella, "your majesty looks so young—" THE BIRTHDAY. 77 "No, child, I am a grandmother," replied the empress, smiling proudly, " but my heart is as young as ever, and it leaps with joy when I look upon the son whom you have made so happy. Why, his heart looks out of his great, blue eves with such— But see for yourself, here he comes !" At this moment the archduke entered the room, and advanced towai-d his mother, while at the door, apparently awaiting his re- turn, stood the emperor and the lord high chancellor, Kauuitz. " Pardon me, your majesty, if I interrupt you, " said the arch- duke. " I have just learned from the marshal of the imperial house- hold that your majesty has declined going to the opera to-night. Can this be possible, when Gluck's new opera has been rehearsing for two months with especial reference to this occasion ?" "It can," replied the empress, "for I do not interdict the repre- sentation — I only absent myself from it. " The archduke crimsoned, and he was about to make some hasty reply, when he felt the pressure of his wife's hand upon his arm. He smiled, and controlled himself at once. "Forgive me, if I venture to remonstrate with your majesty," replied he, good-humoredly. "This new opera of Gluck is a musical gem, and is well worthy your majesty's notice. " " I have been told, on the contrary, that it is very tiresome, " ex- claimed the empress with impatience. " The libretto is heavy, and the music also. It is highly probable that the opera will fail, and it would certainly be unfortunate if, on this day of rejoicing, we should assemble there to witness the failure. " " But your majesty may have been misinformed, " persisted Joseph. " Let me beg of you, my dear mother, for the sake of the great maes- tro, who would take your absence sorely to heart, as well as for the sake of the director. Count Durazzo, who has taken such pains to produce this new masterpiece — let me beg you to reconsider your decision. " " And allow me to add my entreaties to those of Joseph, " said the emperor, entering the room. " All Vienna awaits the new represen- tation as a high artistic gratification. Without your majesty's pres- ence the triumph of the maestro will be incomplete. " " And the emperor, too, opposes me ?" said Maria Theresa. " Does he, too, desert the old style, to follow these new-fangled musical eccentricities? Have we not all enjoyed the opera as it exists at present? And if so, why shall this Master Gluck step suddenly for- ward and announce to us that we know nothing of music, and that what we have hitherto admired as such was nothing more than trum- pery ? Why does he disdain the poetry of Metastasio, to adopt that of a man whom nobody knows ? I will not lend my hand to mortify the old man who for thirty years has been our court-poet. I owe it to him, at least, not to appear at this representation, and that is reason enough for me to refuse my presence there. " " But Calzabigi's poem is of surpassing beauty, " remonstrated the emperor ; " for K^unitz himself has seen it, and is in raptures with it." . , "Ah, Kaunitz, too, has given his adherence to the new musical caprice of Master Gluck?" said the empress, signing to the count to come forward. . „ ^ , „ i, "Yes, your majesty," said Kaumtz, bowing, "I also am for the new and startling, whether in politics or in music. I have learned 18 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. this lesson from my imperial mistress, whose new line of policy now commands the admiration of all Europe. " The empress received these flattering words with an emotion of visible pleasure ; for it was seldom that Kaunitz paid compliments, even to sovereigns. " You mean, then, that Gluck has not only produced something new, but something of worth, also?" " Yes, your majesty, music has cut off her queue, and really in her new coiffure she is divinely beautiful. Moreover, your majesty has rewarded the seventy years of Metastasio with a rich pension, proof enough to him of the estimation in which his talents are held. Metastasio belongs to the old regime you have pensioned off ; Calza- bigi and Gluck are children of our new Austria. Your majesty's self has created this Austria, and you owe to her children your im- perial countenance and favor. " " But I have been told there will be some strife to-night between the rival parties, " said the empress. "And since when has your majesty shunned the battle-field?" asked Kaunitz. " But the defeat, count, I fear the defeat. The opera is sure to fail. " " No one knows better than your majesty how to console the van- quished. Your majesty was never greater than when, after the defeat of Field-marshal Daun, you went forth to meet him with all the honors which you would have awarded to a victorious general.* If Gluck fg,ils to-day, he will not be the less a great artiste, and your majesty will sustain him under his reverses. " The empress laughed. " It is dangerous to contend with Kaunitz, for he slays me with my own weapons. And you, too, my husband, would have me abandon Hasse and Metastasio, who are so pious and so good, for this Gluck, whom I have never met inside of a church ? Gluck is not even a Christian. " " But he is a genius, " cried out Joseph, " and genius is pleasing in the sight of God. Metastasio and Hasse are old, and having noth- ing better to do, they go to church. If they were young, your majesty would not meet them so often, I fancy. " The face of the empress grew scarlet while the archduke poured forth these thoughtless words ; and all present felt that Gluck and his cause were lost. But Isabella came to the rescue. Approaching the empress and kissing her hand, she said : " Your majesty has been so good as to say that to-day you would refuse me nothing. I have two requests to make. May I speak ?" " Yes, dear child, you may, " replied the empress, already appeased by the gentle voice of her beloved daughter-in-law. " I know so well that you will ask nothing unseemly that I do not fear to grant your requests. What are they?" " First, your majesty, I beg that my husband and I be permitted to attend the mass that is to be celebrated in your private chapel, that by your side we may beg of God to give peace to Austi'ia, and to bless us, your majesty's own family, with unity and love among ourselves. Will you permit this?" The empress, in her animated way, drew the archduchess toward her, and kissed her tenderly. * After the battle of Torgau, whicli Daun lost. ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE. 79 "You are an angel, Isabella, " said she, "and discord ceases at the very sound of your voice. Yes, dearest child, you shall come with Joseph ; and side by side we will pray for peace and family concord. For the second boon, I guess it. Is it not that I grant your hus- band's petition?" Isabella, smiling, bowed her head, and the empress turned toward the emperor. "Well, your majesty," continued she, "since my presence is in- dispensable, I bow to your superior judgment in art, and the court must attend the opera to-night. Are you satisfied, my son ?" asked she of the archduke. " Are you satisfied now that I have sacrificed my prejudices to give you pleasure ? And on some future occasion will you do as much for me, should I require it?" "With shame I shall remember your majesty's goodness in par- doning my ungracious behavior to-day, " replied the archduke, fer- vently pressing his mother's hands to his lips. " I not only forgive but forget it, my son, '' said Maria Theresa, with one of her enchanting smiles ; "this is a day of rejoicing, and no clouds shall darken our happiness. Let us now retire to the chapel, for, believe me, dear son, it is not well to forget our heavenly Father until age forces us to remember our dependence. A great and brill- iant destiny is before you, Joseph, and much you need help from Heaven. Watch and pray while you are young, that you may call down the blessing of God upon your career. " CHAPTER XX. OKPHEUS AND EURYDICE. On that night, all Vienna sped to the Imperial Opera-house. Not lords and ladies alone, but commoners and artisans with their wives, thronged to hear the wonderful music which for three weeks had divided the Viennese into two bitter factions. On one side stood Metastasio, the venerable court-poet, whose laurels dated from the reign of the empress's father. Linked with his fame was that of Hasse, who for forty years had been called " II caro Sassone. " Hasse, who had composed so many operas, was often heard to say, that, when it came upon him unawares, he did not know his own music. All Italy had declared for Hasse and Metastasio, and in scornful security the Italians had predicted the discomfiture of the new school of music. , , . . On the other hand were Gluck and his friend Calzabigi, whose partisans disdained the old style, and lauded the new one to the skies. Gluck was perfectly indifferent to all this strife of party. Not once, since the first day of rehearsal, had his countenance lost its expression of calm and lofty security. Resolved to conquer, he receded before no obstacle. In vain had the prima donna, the re- nowned Gabrielle, complained of hoarseness ; Gluck blandly excused her, and volunteered to send for her rival, Tibaldi, to.take the r«e of Euiydice. This threat cured the hoarseness, and Gabrielle at- tpuded the rehearsals punctually. In vain had Guadagni attempted, by a iew fioritures, to give an Italian turn to the severe simplicity 80 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. of Orpheus's air. At the least deviation from his text. Gluck, with a frown, would recall the ambitious tenor, and do away with his embellishments. In vain had the chorus-singers complained of the impossibility of learning their parts. Gluok instructed them one by one. He had trained the orchestra, too, to fullest precision ; and finally, every difficulty overcome, the great opera of " Orpheus and Eurydice " was ready for representation on the birthday of the Arch- duchess Isabella. Shortly before the hour of performance, Gluck entered his draw- ing-room in a rich court-dress, his coat covered with decorations. His wife met him, elegantly attired, and sparkling with diamonds. She held out her hand, and smiled a happy smile. " Look at me, my hero, " said she. " I have arrayed myself in my wedding-jewels. I feel to-night as I did on the day when we plighted our faith to one another before the altar. Then, dear Christopher, our hearts were united ; to-day — our souls. Is it not so? And are we not one in spirit?" "Yes, dearest, yes," replied Gluck, folding her in his arms, " never have I so prized and loved you as in these later days of strife and struggle. Well do I feel what a blessing to man is a noble woman ! Often during our rehearsals, when I have encountered the supercilious glances of performers and orchestra, the thought of your dear self has given me strength to confront and defy their scorn. And when, weary in mind and body, I have found my way home, the touch of your hand has refreshed and cooled the fever in my heart. And often when others have pronounced my music worth- less, I might have despaired, but for the remembrance of your emo- tion. I thought of your tears and of your rapture, and hope revived in my sick heart. Your applause, dear wife, has sustained me to the end." "No, dear Christopher," replied Marianne, "not my applause, but the might of your own inspiration. That which is truly great must sooner or later prevail over mediocrity. " " The world is not so appreciative as you fancy, Marianne ! Else had Socrates not drunk of the poisoned beaker, nor Christ, our Lord, been crucified. Mediocrity is popular, because it has the sympathy of the masses. Not only does it come within their comprehension, but it is accommodating ; — it does not wound their littleness. I know, dear wife, that my opera is a veritable work of art, and there- fore dol tremble that its verdict is in the handsof mediocrity. Poor Marianne ! You have arrayed yourself for a bridal, and it may hap- pen that we go to the funeral of my masterpiece. " " Well, even so, " replied the spirited wife, " I shall not have decked myself in vain ; I shall die like the Indian widow, upon the funeral pile of my dear husband's greatness. I will both live and die with you, maestro; whether you are apotheosized or stoned, your worth can neither be magnified nor lessened by the world. My faith in your genius is independent of public opinion ; and whether you conquer or die, your opera must live." "How 1 wish," said Gluck thoughtfully, "that from above, I might look down a hundred years hence and see whether indeed my works will have value on earth, or be thrown aside as antiquated trumpery I But it is useless— an impenetrable cloud covers the future, and we must e'en content ourselves with the verdict of the day. Let me be strong to meet it 1— Come, Marianne, the carriage is com- ORPHEUS AND EURTDICE. 81 ing to the door, and we must go. But is all this splendor to be hid- den behind the lattice- work of my little stage-box?" XX. • " ^J^iL °°' Christopher, " said his wife gayly ; " on such a night as this, I have taken another box ; from whence I can be a happy wit- ness of my husband's triumph. " "What intrepid confidence the woman possesses!" exclaimed Gluck, catching his wife's gayety. " But how wiU my brave cham- pion feel, if she has to see as well as hear the hisses that may possi- bly greet us to-night 5" " I shall feel heartily ashamed of the audience, " replied Marianne, "and shall take no pains to conceal my contempt." " We shall see, " answered Gluck, handing her to the carriage, and following her with a meiTy laugh. " Now, forward !" Within the theatre all was commotion. On one side, the parti- sans from the old school, who, from prejudice or custom, adhered to Hasse and Metastasio, predicted failure. This party was composed of Italians, and of all those who had " gone out " with old Austria. New Austria, on the other hand, with all the young dilettante of Vienna, were resolved to sustain Gluck, and, if possible, secure to his new opera an unprecedented triumph. The excitement reached even those boxes where sat the ilite of the Viennese nobility. Even their voices were to be heard discussing the merits or demerits of the musical apple of discord. The Gluckites related that Guadagni, who, at first, had been strongly prejudiced against the opera, had flpally been moved to tears by its exquisite harmony, and had said to Gluck that he was learning for the first time to what heights of beauty music might soar. The Hasseites replied that the opera was none the less tedious for Guadagni's word. Moreover, if Hasse and Metastasio had not openly condemned Gluck 's musical innovations, it was because they were both satisfied that the opera would damn itself, and they were present to witness the discomfiture of its com- poser.* Suddenly there was a hush in the theatre. The attention of the disputants was directed toward a small box, in the first tier, the door of w^hich had opened to give entrance to two persons. One was an old man with silver- white hair, which flowed in ringlets on either side of his pale and delicate face. His thin lips were parted with an affable smile, and the glance of his small dark eyes was mild, be- nevolent, and in keeping with the rest of his countenance. His small, bent figure was clothed in the cassock of an abbi, but the simplicity of his costume was heightened by the order of Theresa which, at- tached to a silk ribbon, hung around his neck. The other was a tall, gaunt man, in the dress of court maestro de capello. His lean face was proud and serious, his large mouth wore an expression of scorn, and his full-orbed, light-blue eyes had a glance of power which accorded well with his lofty stature. The two ad- vanced arm in arm toward the railing, and, at their appearance, a storm of applause arose from the parterre, while the partisans of the Italian school cried : " Long live Hasse ! Long live Metastasio ! They bowed, and took their seats. While this was transpiring, the wife of Gluck entered her box. With a quiet smile she listened to the shouts that greeted her husband's rivals. _ ■, ■.■ ^^ "He, too," thought she, "will have his greeting and his tri- umph. " * Anton Schmid, "Eitter von Gluck," page 93. 82 JOSEPH II. ANB HIS COURT. She was not mistaken. No sooner had Gluck appeared in the orchestra, than, from boxes as well as parterre, a thousand voices pealed forth his welcome: "Long live Gluck I long live the great maestro ! " Gluck bowed gracefully, while Marianne, happy but tranquil, unfolded her jewelled fan, and leaned back in supreme satisfaction. Metastasio whispered something to Hasse, who nodded his head, and then began to run his fingers through the masses of his bushy, gray hair. Suddenly were heard these words : " Her majesty the empress, and the imperial court !" Hushed now was every sound. Every eye was turned toward the box surmounted by the double-headed eagle of Austria. The mar- shal of the household appeared with his golden wand, the doors of the box flew asunder, the audience rose, and the empress, leaning on the arm of the emperor, entered her box. Magnificently dressed, and sparkling with diamonds, her transcendent beauty seemed still more to dazzle the eyes of her enraptured subjects. She was followed by the archduke, who, in conversation with his wife, seemed scarcely to heed the greetings of his future subjects. Behind them came a bevy of princes and princesses, all of whom, including little Marie Antoinette and Maximilian, the two youngest, had been per- mitted to accompany the imperial party. It was a family festival, and Maria Theresa chose on this occasion to appear before her people in the character of a mother. The empress and her husband came forward and bowed. The former then glided gracefully into her lai'ge gilt arm-chair, while the latter signed to his children to be seated. This was the signal of the music to begin. The audience resumed their seats, Gluck raised the leader's staff, and signed to the mu- sicians. The overture began. In breathless silence the audience listened to that short, earnest overture, whose horns, trumpets, and hautboys seemed to herald the coming of kings and heroes. The curtain rose, and, in a funeral hall, Orpheus poured forth his grief for the loss of his Eurydice. With this pathetic complaint mingled the voices of the chorus of mourners ; then a solo from Orpheus, in which he bewails anew the fate of the noble woman who had died for his sake. The god of love appears, counselling him to descend himself to the infernal regions. Orpheus, strengthened and revived by hope, resolves to tempt the dangerous descent, and calls upon his friends to share his fate. At the end of the first act the curtain fell amid the profoundest silence. The Hasseites shrugged their shoulders, and even Gluck 's warmest adherents felt undecided what to say of this severe Doric music, which disdained all the coquetries of art, and rejected all superfluous embellishment. "I am glad that Metastasio is here," said the empress, "for his presence will prove to Calzabigi that he is not a pensioned dotard. And what thinks my daughter of the opera?" asked Maria Theresa of the infanta. But when she saw Isabella's face, her heart grew faint with fear. The archduchess was pale as death, and her countenance wore an ex- pression of grief bordering on despair. Her large, dark eyes, dis- tended to their utmost, were fixed upon the ceiling ; and she seemed ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE. 83 as if she still heard the wailings of Orpheus and the plaintive chorus of his friends. Joseph saw nothing of this. He had taken a seat farther hack and was chatting gayly with his little brothers and sisters. "God help me!" murmured the empress; "she looks as if she were dying ! Oh, if she were right with her dismal prophecy of death 1 What if indeed she is to leave us? Have mercy, O God ! I know that I love her too well. She will be taken from me ; Heaven will claim from me this sacrifice !" * Isabella shuddered, and awakened from her horrid dream. Her eyes fell, her cheeks flushed, and once more her lips parted with a gentle smile. With a tender and appealing look, she turned toward the empress and kissed her hand. "Pai-don me, your majesty," whispered she ; "the music has en- tranced and bewildered me. I was in another world, and was lost to the present. " "The music pleases you, then?" asked the empress. "Oh, your majesty," cried Isabella, "this is no music to give pleasure ; it is the sublimest language of truth and love !" "Then," said the empress tenderly, "if you prize it so highly, dearest, I will prove to you how dearly I love you, for your verdict and mine disagree. Our next festive day will be that on which Joseph is to be crowned King of Rome. And we shall do homage to the taste of the Queen of Rome by ordering that this opera be re- peated on the occasion of her coronation. " Isabella shook her head. "I shall not live long enough to be crowned Queen of Rome. " t Maria Theresa was about to murmur a reply, when the curtain rose, and the second act of the opera opened. The audience, who had been loudly canvassing the music, were silenced, and awaited in breathless expectation the unfolding of the plot. Soon came the wonderful scene between Orpheus and the furies who guard the gates of Avernus. The beseeching tones of Orpheus, and the inexorable "No!" of the furies, made every lis- tener tremble. Even Hasse, overcome by the sublimity of the music, bowed his head with the rest ; and Metastasio, enraptured with the words, murmured, " Ah, che poesia divina ! " Murmurs of applause were heard from every side of the theatre ; they grew with every scene, and at last burst forth in wild shouts. It seemed as if the audience were gradually rising to an appreciation of this new and unknown music, until with one accord its matchless beauty burst upon their hearts and overpowered them. When the curtain fell a second time, the applause knew no bounds. The Gluckites, in triumphant silence, hearkened to the voices of the deeply-moved multitude, who gave full vent to their emotions, and noisily exchanged the thoughts to which the wonderful opera had given birth. Marianne, supremely happy, listened enraptured, while wreaths fell in showers around the head of her beloved husband. The ad- herents of Hasse and Metastasio no longer dared to raise their voices in opposition to the public verdict. In this state of excitement the third act began. With increasing delight, the audience listened. When Eurydice, condemned to return to the infernal regions, sang *The empress's words. Caraocioli, " Life of Joseph II.," page 87, tisabeila's own words. Wraxall, li., page 394, 84 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. her plaintive aria, sobs were heard throughout the theatre, and murmurs of applause were audible during the whole scene. But when Orpheus concluded his passionate aria " Che faro senza Eury- dice, " the people could contain their enthusiasm no longer. Exalted, carried away, with beating hearts and tearful eyes, they cried "Da capo ! " and when Guadagni, in compliance with the call, had re- peated his solo, the audience shouted out so often the name of Gluck, that he could resist his joy no longer. He turned, and they saw his noble face scarlet with blushes ; then arose another storm. Again and again the " vivas " and the clappings were renewed, each time more frantic than before. Hasse, tired of the spectacle of his rival's triumph, had disap- peared. Metastasio, more magnanimous, had remained, and ap- plauded as loudly as any. Marianne, to conceal her tears, had hidden her face behind her open fan ; and as the applause of the people increased, until it resembled the shouts of victory, she murmured : " I knew it, I knew it I The true and beautiful must always prevail. " The fire of enthusiasm had spread to the imperial box. The emperor had more than once been heard to call out, "Bravo I" and Maria Theresa had several times felt her eyes grow dim. But she brushed away her tears and exclaimed : " It is beautiful, certainly ; but it is a heathen opera, in which not God but gods are invoked !" Isabella said nothing. She had held up before her face the bouquet which her husband had gathered for her, that her tears might fall unseen among its flowers. Joseph saw those tears shin- ing like dew-drops upon its rose-leaves, and, taking it from her hands, he kissed them away. " Do not weep, my Isabella, " whis- pered he tenderly ; " your tears fall like a weight of sorrow upon my heart. Wipe them away, beloved. The day will come when you also shall be an empress, and your people will do you homage as I do now ; and then you will have it in your power to heal their sor- rows, and wipe away their tears ; and they will love and bless you as I — " A final burst of applause drowned the voice of the archduke. The opera was at an end, and the people were calling again for Gluck, the creator of the lyric drama. CHAPTER XXI. "in three tears, we meet again." The war was over. All Vienna was rejoicing that the struggle which had caused so much bloodshed was at an end, and that Austria and Prussia had made peace. Neither of the two had gained any thing by this long war, except glorious victories, honorable wounds, and a knowledge of the power and bravery of its enemy. Both had serious burdens to bear, which, for many years to come, would be painful reminders of the past. Austria, to cover the expenses of the war, had invented paper money, and had flooded the empire with millions of coupons. Prussia had coined base money, and all the employes of the state had received notes, which were nicknamed " Beamtenscheine." "IN THREE YEARS, WE MEET AGAIN." 85 After the war these notes were exchanged for this base currency, which soon afterward was withdrawn from circulation as worth- less. But Prussia had obtained from Austria full recognition of her rights to Silesia, and she in return had pledged herself to vote for Joseph as candidate for the crown of Rome, and to support the pre- tensions of the empress to the reversion of the duchy of Modena. We have said that all Vienna was rejoicing, and turned out to receive the returning army with laurel wreaths and oaken boughs. The people breathed freely once more; they shouted 'and feasted, and prepared themselves to enjoy to their utmost the blessings of peace. But while the nation shouted for joy, a cloud was gathering over the imperial palace, and its black shadow darkened the faces of the once happy family. There wanted now but a few months to complete the third year of the archduke's marriage, and the young princesses seized every opportunity to make schemes of pleasure for the joyous anniversary. Isabella viewed these projects with a mournful smile. Her counte- nance became sadder and more serious, except when in the presence of her husband. There she assumed an appearance of gayety ; laughing, jesting, and drawing from her violin its sweetest sounds. But, with her attendants, or in the company of the other members of the imperial family, she was melancholy, and made her prepara- tions for death, which she foretold would overtake her very soon. "You believe this terrible presentiment, my daughter?" said the empress to her one day. " Will you indeed forsake us who love you so dearly ?" "It is not that I will, but that I must go," replied she. "It is God who calls me, and I must obey. " "But why do you think that God has called you?" Isabella was silent for a moment, then she raised her eyes with a strange, unspeakable look to the face of the empress. " A dream has announced it to me, " said she, " a dream in which I place implicit faith." "A dream?" said the pious empress to herself. "It is true that GodjSometimes speaks to men in dreams ; sometimes reveals to us in sleejj secrets which He denies to our waking, earthly eyes. What was your dream, love?" "What I saw?" whispered she, almost inaudibly. "There are visions which no words can describe. They do not pass as pictures before the eye, but with unquenchable fire they brand themselves upon the heart. What I saw? I saw a beloved and dying face, a breathing corpse. I lay overwhelmed with grief near the outstretched form of my— my— mother. Oh, believe me, the prayer of despair has power over death itself, and the cry of a broken heart calls back the parting soul. I wept, I implored, I prayed, until the dim eyes opened, the icy lips moved, and the stiflFening corpse arose and looked at me, at me who knelt in wild anguish by its side. " " Horrible !" cried the empress. " And this awful dream did not '• No I did not awake, and even now it seems to me that all these things were real. I saw the corpse erect, and I heard the words which its hollow and unearthly voice spoke to me : We shall meet again in three — '" , , . , "Say no more, say no more, " said the pale empress, crossing her- 86 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. self. " You speak with such an air of conviction, that for a moment I too seemed to see this dreadful dream. When had you your dream ?" " In the autumn of 1760, your majesty. " The empress said nothing. She imprinted a kiss upon the fore- head of the infanta, and hastily withdrew to her own apartments. " I will pray, I will pray !" sobbed she. " Perhaps God will have mei'cy upon us. " She ordered her private carriage and drove to St. Stephens, where, prostrate among the tombs of her ancestors, she prayed for more than an hour. From this day Maria Theresa became sad and silent, anxiously watching the countenance of Isabella, to see if it betokened death. But weeks passed by, and the infanta's prophecy began to be re- garded as a delusion only fit to provoke a smile. The empress alone remained impressed by it. She still gazed with sorrowing love at the pale and melancholy face of her daughter-in-law. " You have made a convert of my mother, " said the Archduchess Christina one day to Isabella, "although," added she, laughing, " you never looked better in your life. " "And you, Christina, you do not believe?" said Isabella, putting her arm around Christina's neck. "You, my friend, and the confi- dante of my sorrows, you would wish to prolong the burden of this life of secret wretchedness and dissimulation?" " I believe in the goodness of God, and in the excellence of your own heart, dear Isabella. These three years once passed away, as soon as you will have been convinced that this prophecy was indeed nothing but a dream, your heart will reopen to life and love. A new future will loom up before you, and at last you will reward the love of my poor brother, not by noble self -sacrifice, but by veritable aflFection. " "Would that you spoke the truth!" returned Isabella sadly. " Had my heart been capable of loving, I would have loved him long ago — him, whose noble and confiding love is at once my pride and my grief. Believe me when I tell you that in these few years of married life I have suffered terribly. I have striven with my sor- rows, I have tried to overcome the past, I have desired to live and to enjoy life — but in vain. My heart was dead, and could not awake to life — I have only suffered and waited for release. " "Gracious Heaven !" cried Christina, unmoved by the confidence with which Isabella spoke, " is there nothing then that can bind you to life? If you are cold to the burning love of your husband, are you indifferent to your child?" •'Do you think that I will leave my child?" said Isabella, looking surprised. " Oh, no ! She will come to me before she is seven years old. " * " Oh, Isabella, Isabella, I cannot believe that you will be taken from us," cried Christina, bursting into tears, and encircling her sister with her arms, as though she fancied that they might shield her from the touch of death. " Stay with us, darling, we love you so dearly !" Her voice choked by emotion, she laid her head upon Isabella's » The infanta's own words. This interview of Isabella with Christina la historic oal, and the most extraordinary part of it is, that the prophecy of her child's death was fulfilled. "IN THREE YEARS, WE MEET AGAIN." 87 shoulder, and wept piteously. The infanta kissed her, and whis- pered words of tenderness, and Christina's sobs died away. Both were silent. Together they stood with sad hearts and blanched cheeks, two imperial princesses in the prime of youth, beauty, and worldly station, yet both bowed down by grief. Their lips slightly moved in prayer, but all around was silent. Suddenly the silence was broken by the deep, full sound of a large clock which stood on the mantel-piece. Isabella raised her pale face, and listened with a shudder. For many months this clock had not struck the hour. The clock- maker, who had been sent to repair it, had pronounced the machinery to be so completely destroyed, that it would have to be renewed. Isabella could not summon resolution to part with the clock. It was a dear memento of home, and of her mother. She had there- fore preferred to keep it, although it would never sound again. And now it struck 1 Loud, even, and full-toned, it pealed the hour, and its clear, metallic voice rang sharply through the room. Isabella raised her head, and, pointing to the clock, said, with a shudder : " Christina, it is the signal — I am called !" * She drew back, as if in fear, while the clock went on with its relentless strokes. " Come, come, let us away !" murmured Chris- tina, with pale and trembling lips. " Yes, come, " sighed Isabella. She made a step, but her trembling feet refused to support her. She gi'ew dizzy, and sank down upon her knees. Christina uttered a cry, and would have flown for help, but Isa- bella held her back. " My end approaches, " said she. " My senses .fail me. Hear my last words. When I am dead, you will find a letter for you. Swear that you will comply with its demands. " "I swear!" said Christina, solemnly. " I am content. Now call the physician. " Day after day of anguish went by — of such anguish as the hu- man heart can bear, but which human language is inadequate to paint. Isabella was borne to her chamber, and the imperial physician was called in. The empress followed him to the bedside, where pale and motionless sat Joseph, his eyes riveted upon the beloved wife who, for the first time, refused to smile upon him, for the first time was deaf to his words of love and sorrow. The physician bent over the princess, and took her hand. He felt her head, then her heart, while the empress, with folded hands, stood praying beside liim ; and Joseph, whose eyes were now turned upon Mm, looked into his face, as if his whole soul lay in one long gaze of entreaty. Van Swieten spoke not a word, but continued his examination. He bade the weeping attendants uncover the feet of the princess and bent over them in close and anxious scrutiny. As he raised his eyes, the archduke saw that Van Swieten was veiy pale. "Oh, doctor," cried he, in tones of agony, "do not say that she will die! You have saved so many lives! Save my wife, my treasured wife, and take all that I possess in the world beside ! The physician replied not, but went again to the head of the bed, and looked intently at the face of the princess. It had now turned scarlet, and here and there was flecked with spots of purple. ♦Historical. Wraxall, p. 387. 7 88 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. Van Swieten snatched from Joseph one of the butning hands which he held clasped within his own. "Let me hold her dear hands,'' said he, kissing them again and again. The doctor held up the little hand he had taken, which, first as white as fallen snow, was now empurpled with disease. He turned it over, looked into the palm, opened the fingers, and examined them closely. "Doctor, in mercy, speak!" said the agonized husband. "Do you not see that I shall die before your eyes, unless you promise that she shall live !" The empress prayed no longer. When she saw how Van Swieten was examining the fingers of the archduchess, she uttered a stifled cry, and hiding her head with her hands, she wept silently. At the foot of the bed knelt the attendants, all with their tearful eyes lifted to the face of him who would promise life or pronounce death. Van Swieten gently laid down the hand of his patient, and opened her dress over the breast. As though he had seen enough, he closed it quickly and stood erect. His eyes were now fixed upon Joseph with an expression of deep and painful sympathy. " Speak, " said Joseph, with trembling lips, " I have courage to hear. " "It is my duty to speak," replied Van Swieten, "my duty to exact of her majesty and of your highness to leave the room. The archduchess has the small-pox. " Maria Theresa sank insensible to the floor. From the anteroom where he was waiting the emperor heard the fall, and hastening at the sound, he bore his wife away. Joseph, meanwhile, sat as though he had been struck by a thunder- bolt. " Archduke Joseph, " cried Van Swieten, " by the duty you owe to your country and your parents I implore you to leave this in- fected spot. " Joseph raised his head, and a smile illumined his pale face. " Oh, " cried he, " I am a happy man ; I have had the smaU-pox ! I at least can remain with her until she recovers or dies. " " Yes, but you will convey the infection to your relatives. " " I will not leave the room, doctor, " said Joseph resolutely. " No inmate of the palace shall receive the infection through me. I my- self will be my Isabella's nurse until — " He could speak no more ; he covered his face with his hands, and his tears fell in showers over the pillow of his unconscious wife. Van Swieten opposed him no longer. He was suffered to remain, nursing the archduchess with a love that defied all fatigue. Of all this Isabella was ignorant. Her large, staring eyes were fixed upon her tender guardian, but she knew him not ; she spoke to him in words of burning tenderness, such as never before had fallen from her lips ; but while she poured out her love, she called him by another name— she called him Biccardo; and while she told him that he was dearer to her than all the world beside, she warned him to beware of her father. Sometimes, in her delirium, she saw a bloody corpse beside her, and she prayed to die by its side. Then she seemed to listen to another voice, and her little hands were clasped in agony, while, exhausted with the horror of the vision, she murmured, "Three CHE FARO SENZA EURYDICE. 89 years ! three years ! O God, what martyrdom 1 In three years we meet again !" . Her husband heeded not her wild language, he listened to the music of her voice. That voice was all that was left to remind him of his once beautiful Isabella ; it was still as sweet as in the days when her beauty had almost maddened him— that beauty which had flown forever, and left its possessor a hideous mass of blood and cor- ruption. On the sixth day of her illness Isabella recovered from her de- lirium. She opened her eyes and fixed them upon her husband with a look of calm intelligence. "Farewell, Joseph!" said she softly. "Farewell ! It is over now, and I die." "No, no, darling, you will not die," cried he, bursting into tears. You would not leave me, beloved, you will live to bless me again. " " Do not sorrow for me, " said she. " Forgive and forget me. " As Joseph, overcome by his emotion, made no reply, she repeated her words with more emphasis : " Forgive me, Joseph, say that you forgive me, for otherwise I shall not die in peace. " "Forgive thee !" cried he. "/forgive thee, who for three years hast made my life one long sunny day !" " Thou wert happy, then, " asked she, " happy through me?" " I was, I am happy, if thou wilt not leave me. " "Then," sighed the wife, "I die in peace. He was happy, I have done my duty, I have atoned — " Her head fell back. A long, fearful silence ensued. Suddenly a shriek — the shriek of a man, was heard. When the attendants rushed in, Isabella was dead, and Joseph had fallen insensible upon the body.* CHAPTER XXII. CHE FAHO SENZA. EURYDICE. The funeral rites were ended, and Isabella of Parma slept in St. Stephen's, in the tomb of the kaisers. Joseph had refused to attend the funeral. From the hour his consciousness had returned to him he had locked himself within his apartments, and night and day he was heard pacing the floor with dull and measured tread. Not even the empress, who had stood im- ploring at the door, could obtain a word in answer to her entreaties. For two days and nights he remained within. On the third day the emperor knocked at the door, and announced to his son that all was now ready for the funeral, and his presence was indispensable. Joseph opened the door, and, without a word, leaned upon his father's arm, and traversed the long suite of apartments hung in black, until they reached the room where lay the body of his wife. There, amid burning wax-lights, was the hideous coffin that enclosed * This extraordinary account of the life and death .of the infanta, Isabella of Parma, is no romance; it rests upon facts which are mentioned by historians of the reign of Maria Theresa. Caroline Piohler, whose mother was tire-woman to the empress when the archduchess died, relates the history of the prophecy, wherem Isabella, first in three hours, then in as many days, weeks, months, and years, awaited her death She also relates the fact of her death at the expiration of three years, "in the arms of her despairing husband." Caroline Pichler, "Memoirs of My Life." 90 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. his beloved one, and was about to bear away forever his life, his love, and his happiness. When he saw the coffin, a stifled cry arose from his breast. He darted with open arms toward it, and, bend- ing down, hid his face upon the lid. At this moment the doors of the room were opened, and the em- press entered, attended by her daughters, all in deep mourning. Their faces were wan with weeping, as were those of all who fol- lowed the bereaved sovereign. Meanwhile Joseph neither saw nor heard what passed around him. The ceremonies began, but while the priest performed the fimeral rites, the archduke murmured words which brought tears to the eyes of his father and mother. Maria Theresa approached her stricken son. She kissed his hair, and laid her hand lovingly upon his shoulder. " My son, " said she, with quivering lip, " arise and be a man. Her soul is with God and with us ; let us give her body to the earth that bore it. " While the empress spoke, the bells of the churches began to toll, and from the streets were heard the beating of muffled drums, and the booming of the cannon that announced to Vienna the moving of the funeral procession. "Come, my son, come," repeated the empress. "Our time of trial is at hand. " Joseph raised his head from the coffin, and stared wildly around. He saw the priests, the acolytes with their smoking censers, the weeping attendants of his wife ; he saw the black hangings, the groups of mourners, and his father and mother standing pale and sad beside him ; he heard the tolling of the bells and the dull sound of the funeral drum ; and now, now indeed he felt the awful reality of his bereavement, and knew that as yet he had suffered nothing. Tears filled his eyes, and he sank upon his father's breast. Sobs and wailings filled the funeral hall, while without the in- exorable knell went on, the drums still beat, the cannon roared, all calling for the coffin, for whose entrance the imperial vault lay open. Once more Joseph approached this dreadful coffin. He kissed it, and taking from it one of the roses with which it had been decked, he said, "Farewell, my wife, my treasure; farewell, my adored Isabella !" Then turning toward the empress, he added, " Thank you, dearest mother, for the courage which bears you through this bitter trial ; for me, I cannot follow you. Greet my ancestors and say to them that never came a nobler victim to the grave than the one which you bear thither to-day. " "You will not go with us !" said the empress, astormded. " No, mother, no. Mingle dust with dust, but do not ask me to look into my Isabella's gi'ave." He turned, and without a word or another look at the coffin, he left the room. " Let him go, " whispered the emperor. " I believe that it would kill him to witness the funeral ceremony. " The empress gave a sign, and the cortige moved with the coffin to the catafalque, which, drawn by twelve black horses, awaited the body in front of the palace. Joseph once more retreated to his room, and there, through the stillness of the deserted palace, might be heard his ceaseless tramp, that sounded as though it might be the hammer that was fashioning another coffin to break the hearts of the imperial family. At least CHE FARO SENZA EURYDICE. 91 it seemed so to the soiTowing empress, who listened to the dull sound of her son's footsteps with superstitious fear. She had gone to him, on her return from the funeral, to console him with her love and sympathy. But the door was locked, and her affectionate entreaties for admission were unanswered. She turned to the emperor. " Something must be done to bend the obstinacy of this solitary grief, " said she anxiously. " I know Joseph. His is a passionate and obdurate nature, strong in love as in hate. He had yielded his whole soul to his wife, and now, alas ! I fear that she will draw him with her to the grave. What shall we do, Franz, to comfort him ? How shall we entice him from this odious room, which he paces like a lion in his cage?" " Go once more and command him to open the door. He will not have the courage to defy you, " said the emperor. Maria Theresa knocked again, and cried out, " My son Joseph, I command you, as your sovereign and mother, to open the door. " No answer. Still the same dull, everlasting tread. The empress stood awhile to listen ; then, flushing with anger, she exclaimed, " It is in vain. We have lost all control over him. His sorrow has made him cruel and rebellious, even toward his mother. " " But this is unmanly, '' cried the emperor with displeasure. " It is a miserable weakness to sink so helpless under grief. " "Think you so?" said the empress, ready to vent upon the em- peror her vexation at the conduct of her son. " In your pride of manhood you deem it weak that Joseph grieves for his wife. I dare say that were your majesty placed in similar circumstances, you would know full well how to bear my loss like a man. But your majesty must remember that Joseph has not your wisdom and ex- perience. He is but a poor, artless youth, who has been weak enough to love his wife without stint. This is a fault for which I crave the emperor's indulgence. " " Oh, your majesty, " replied the emperor, smiling, " God forbid that he should ever grow less affectionate ! I was only vexed that the voice of Maria Theresa should have less power over my son than it has over his father ; that silvery voice which bewitched me in youth, and through life has soothed my every pang. " The empress, completely softened, Teached out her hand. "Would you, indeed, mourn for me, Franz?" said she tenderly. " Would you refuse to listen to father or mother for my sake ? Yes, dearest, you would, I believe. From our childhood we were lovers, we will be lovers in our old age, and when we part the one that is left will mourn as deeply as Joseph. Let us, liien, be lenient with his gi-ief, until our love and forbearance shall have won him to come and weep upon his mother's breast. " " If your majesty permit, " said Christina, stepping forward, I will try to soften his grief. " „ , j. • l " What can you do, dear child ?" asked the empress of her f avori te daughter. "I have a message for him," replied Christina. I swore to Isabella that no one but myself should reveal it to Joseph. I know- that it wiU prove consolatory, and Isabella also knew it. For this reason she intrusted it to me. " " Try then, my daughter, try if your voice will have more power than mine. Meanwhile I will essay the power of music. It over- 92 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. came him once when he was a boy. We will try him with the music that Isabella loved best. " She called a page and spoke with him in a low voice. In con- clusion she said, " Let the carriage go at once and bring him hither in a quarter of an hour. " The page withdrew, and the imperial family were again alone. " Now, my daughter, " said the empress, " see if he will speak to you. " Christina approached the door. "My brother Joseph," said she, " I beseech you open the door to me. I come from Isabella ; it is she who sends me to you. " The bolt was withdrawn, and for a moment the pale face of Joseph appeared at the door. " Come in, " said he, waving his hand to Christina. She followed him 'into the room where so many, many tears had been shed. "Now speak," said he, "what did Isabella say to you?" His sister looked with pity upon his ghastly face and those hol- low eyes grown glassy with weeping. "Poor, poor Joseph!" said she softly, " I see that your love for her was beyond all bounds. " He made a motion of impatience. " Do not pity me, " said he. " My grief is too sacred for sympathy. I do not need it. Tell me at once, what said Isabella?" Christina hesitated. She felt as if the balm she was about to bring would prove more painful than the wounds it was intended to heal. " Speak, I tell you, " cried Joseph angrily. " If you have made use of Isabella's name to gain access to my presence, it is a trick for which I will never forgive you. Why did you disturb me? I was with her, " continued he, staring at the divan where so often they had sat together. " She wore her white dress and the pink roses, and she smiled with her enchanting smile. I lay at her feet, I looked into her eyes, I heard the melody of her voice. " "Did she ever say that she loved you?" asked Christina. He looked at her intently and grew thoughtful. " I do not know, " said he after a pause, " whether she ever told me so in words. But there needed no words. I saw her love in every glance, in every smile. Her whole life was love, and oh ! I have lost it forever !" " You have not lost it, for you never possessed it, " said Christina. Joseph drew back and frowned. " What is that?" said he hastily. Christina approached him, and laying her hand upon his shoul- der, she looked into his face vintil her eyes filled with tears. "I say, " whispered she in a tremulous voice, " do not mourn any longer, dear brother. For she for whom you grieve, she whom you call your Isabella, never loved you. " "That is not true," cried Joseph vehemently. "It is a lie, a wicked lie that you have devised to lessen my grief. " " It is nothing but the truth, and I promised Isabella to tell it to you. " Joseph sank almost insensible upon the divan. Christina seated herself near him, and throwing her arms around him, sobbed, " My brother, my darling brother, think no more of the dead, but turn your heart toward us ; for we love you, and Isabella never did. She merely endured your love. " "Endured my love!" murmured Joseph, and his head sank powerless upon Christina's bosom. But suddenly he rose, and look- CHE FARO SENZA EURYDICE. 93 ing with a beseeching expression at his sister's beautiful face, he said : "Bethink you, Christina, of what you do. Think that I love Isabella with all the strength and glow of my heart ; think that for me she was the embodiment of all beauty, goodness, and purity. Do not seek to comfort me by destroying my faith in the truth of the only woman I have ever loved. In whom shall I have faith, if not in her? If her love was a lie, is there love in this world? Oh, Christina, in mercy say that you have sought to comfort by deceiv- ing me !" " I have sought to comfort you, by telling you the truth. If you will not believe me, believe her own words. " She drew a paper from her dress and handed it to Joseph. "It is a letter," said she, "which Isabella gave me, and she made me swear that I would fulfil its behests. Read, and be satisfied. " Joseph unfolded the letter. " It is her handwriting, " said he to himself, and he tried to read it but in vain ; his hand trembled, and his eyes filled with tears. He gave it back to Christina, who read it aloud : " My Christina — confidant of my sufferings and sorrow— hear my dying request. To you I leave the task of consoling my husband. His noble tears shall not be shed over the grave of one who is un- worthy of them. Tell him the truth, tell him all you know, show him this letter, and bid him not grieve for one who never loved him. Do this for me, it is my last request. Isabella. " Suddenly, from the adjoining room, the sweet tones of music were heard ; the air was tremulous with melody, which at first soft and low, swelled louder and louder until it filled the room with a gush of harmony that stirred the hearts of those who listened with sweetest and holiest emotions. Joseph bent eagerly forward. He knew those strains so well I He remembered the night when Isabella's tears had fallen among the rose-leaves, and he had kissed them away. He saw her once more in the pride of her beauty, looking at him from the depths of those glorious dark eyes which he had so madly loved. . The music gave life and being to these memories, and its glamour brought back the dead from her grave ! He remembered how he had asked her if she loved him, and how, avoiding the words so difficult to speak, she had answered with the witching tones of her violin. Oh, that heavenly evening hour upon the balcony ! She had said, " Love has its own language : come and listen." And Christina said she had not loved ! He could not, would not believe her ! He took the letter from Christina's hand and kissed the paper. "I do not believe you," he said softly. "My ti-ust in her is like my sorrow — for eternity !" This imperturbable faith had the effect of hardening Christina, and making her cruel. "You shall believe me," said she hastily. "You shall see in her own handwriting that she loved another." " Another ! " cried the wretched husband. " I will kill him !" " He died before you ever knew her, " said Christina, frightened at the effect of her own heartlessness. A smile overspread his face. " Dead, before I knew her ! Then she forgot him when I loved her. " He took up the letter and read 94 JOSEPH 11. AND HIS COURT. it again. " Oh, " said he, " see how magnanimous was my Isabella. She has been false to her own heart that she might save me from sorrow. She thought it would dry my tears to think that she did not love me. Oh, beloved, I see through thy noble falsehood— in death as in life I know every working of that unselfish heart !'■ Christina said nothing, but she grew more inflexible in her pur- pose. " He shall be convinced, " said she to herself. " I will give him her letters to me, and then he will know that he never has been loved." Again pealed forth the sounds of that heavenly music. Now the violin, mingling with the tones of the harpsichord, glide into a melody of divinest beauty ; and the full, rich tones of a woman's voice warbled the complaint of Orpheus : " Che faro senza Eurydice ! " Joseph sighed convulsively, and a faint color tinged his pale cheeks. This was Isabella's favorite air ; and once more the vision started up before him, once more he saw the tears, he kissed them, and looked into the depths of those starry eyes ! He rose from the divan, and, drawn thither by a power which he could not contend, he left the x'oom, and followed the music that was calling him from madness back to reason. At the harpsichord sat Eitter Gluck, and by him stood the Arch- duchess Elizabeth, whose rich and beautiful voice had exorcised the evil spirit. The emperor and empress, with all their children, came forward to meet the unhappy one, and all with tearful eyes kissed and wel- comed him with tender woi-ds of love. Gluck alone seemed not to have seen the archduke. He was chiding Elizabeth for singing falsely, and called upon her to repeat her song. Nevertheless, while he corrected his pupil, the big tears were coursing one another down his cheeks, and fell upon his hands, as they wandered over the instrument, enrapturing every ear. Elizabeth began again ; and again were heard the heart-breaking tones of " Che faro senza Eurydice ! " AU eyes turned upon the bereaved Orpheus. The empress opened her arms, and completely subdued, he darted to his mother's heart, and cried out, " Che faro senza Eurydice ! " Again ai}d again the mother kissed her weeping son. The em- peror folded them both to his loving heart. The brothers and sisters wept for mingled grief and joy. Elizabeth's voice failed her, and she sang no more. But Gluck played on, his hands weaving new strains of hai-mony such as earth had never heard before. His head thrown back, his eyes upturned toward heaven, his face beaming with inspiration, he listened to his music, while from Joseph's anguish was bom the wonderful song in Alceste, "No crudel, no posso vivere, tu lo sai, senza de te. " The melody went on, the parents caressed their child, and on his mother's bosom Joseph wept the last tears of his great youthful sorrow. The dream of love was over ! Grief had made of him a man. KING OF EOME. CHAPTER XXIII. FATHER PORHAMMEE AND COUNT KAUNTTZ. The empress paced her cabinet with hasty steps. Near the large table, covered with papers of state, stood Father Porhammer. " Are you sure of what you say ?" said Maria Theresa with impa- tience. " Are you sure that the lord chancellor so far forgets his honor and dignity as to spend his hours of leisure in the company of disreputable actresses? Is it true that his house is the scene of shameful orgies and saturnalian feasts?" "It is even so, your majesty, " replied Porhammer. "It is un- happily true that he whom your majesty has raised to the first place in the empire of — " "The first place!" echoed the empress angrily. "Know, sir, that the first place in the empire is mine. !E?om God I hold my power and my crown, and I depute them to no man — I alone reign in Austria. " " Your majesty, '' resumed the father, " did not allow me to finish. I was about to say that he whom your majesty has made your most illustrious subject, he who ought to give to all your subjects an ex- ample of moral conduct, is a profligate and libertine. That infamous school of Paris, where reigns the wanton Marquise de Pompadour, the debauched court of Versailles — " "Hold, father, and remember that France is Austria's dearest ally, " interrupted the empress. The father bowed. " The school of Parisian gallantry, of which the lord chancellor is a graduate, has borne its fruits. Count Kaunitz mocks at religion, chastity, and every other virtue. In- stead of giving an honorable mistress to his house, it is the home of Foliazzi, the singer, who holds him fast with her rosy chains. " " "We must send her away from Vienna. " "Ah, your majesty, if you send her, Count Kaunitz will go with her. He cannot live without La Foliazzi. Even when he comes hither to your majesty's august presence, La Foliazzi is in his coach, and she awaits his return at the doors of the imperial palace. " "Impossible ! I will not believe such scandalous reports. Count Kaunitz never would dare bring his mistresses to my palace doors ; he never would have the audacity to treat his official visits to myself as episodes in a life of lasciviousness with an unchaste singer. You shall withdraw your words, Father Porhammer, or you shall prove them." " I will prove them, your majesty. '' Just then the door opened, and a page announced the lord chan- cellor. Count Kaunitz. 96 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. "Admit Count Kaunitz," said the empress, "and you, Father Porhammer, remain." « The father withdrew within the embrasure of a window, while the lord chancellor followed the page into the presence of the en:ipress. The count's face was as fair and his cheeks as rosy as ever ; he wore the same fantastic peruke of his own invention, and his figure was as straight and slender as it had ever been. Ten years had gone by since he became prime minister, but nothing had altered him. So marble-like his face, that age could not wrinkle, nor care trace a line upon its stony surface. He did not wait for the imperial greeting, but came forward in his careless, unceremonious way, not as though he stood before his sovereign, but as if he had come to visit a lady of his own rank. "Your majesty sees," said he, with a courteous inclination of the head, "that I use the permission which has been granted me, of seeking an audience whenever the state demands it. As I come, not to intrude upon your majesty with idle conversation, but to speak of grave and important matters of state, I do not apologize for coming unbidden. " The easy and unembarrassed manner in which Kaunitz announced himself had its effect upon the empress. She who was so accus- tomed to give vent to the feelings of the moment, overcame her dis- pleasure and received her minister with her usual affability. "Your majesty, then, will grant an audience to your minister of state?" said Kaunitz, looking sharply at the priest who stood un- concerned at the window. " Since the lord chancellor comes at such an unusual hour, " re- plied the empress, " I must conclude that his business is of an im- perative nature. I am therefore ready to hear him." Kaunitz bowed, and then turning with an arrogant gesture toward the empress's confessor, he said, "Do you hear. Father Porham- mer? the empress will hold a council with me. " " I hear it, my lord, " said the priest. " Then as we are not on the subject of religion, you will have the goodness to leave the room. " " I was ordered by her majesty to remain, " replied Father Por- hammer quietly. Kaunitz turned toward the empress, who, with knit and angry brow, was listening to her minister. "If it be the empress's pleasure," said he, bowing, "I will take the liberty of retiring until her majesty is at leisure for earthly affairs. Religion and politics are not to be confounded together ; the former being the weightier subject of the two, I give way. " He bowed again, and was about to leave the room, when the empress recalled him. "Stay!" said she. "Father Porhammer will leave us for a while. " Without a word, the father bowed and withdrew. " Now speak. Count Kaunitz, " said the empress, hastily, " and let the affair be important that has led you to drive my confessor, in such an uncourteous fashion, from my presence. " " Weighty, most weighty is the news that concerns the imperial house of Austria, " said Kaunitz, with his unruffled equanitnity. "A courier has brought me tidings of the archduke's election as King of Rome. " FATHER PORHAMMER AND COUNT KAUNITZ. 97 "Is that all?" said Maria Theresa. " That is no news. The voice of Prussia decided that matter long ago ; and this is the only advan- tage we have ever reaped from our long and terrible war with Frederick?" "No, your majesty, no, this is not the only thing we have ob- tained. This war has yielded us material advantages. It has in- creased the military strength of the country ; it has placed before the eyes of all Europe the inexhaustible nature of Austria's re- sources ; it has brought all the little Germanic principalities under Austria's dominion. It has united Hungary, Sclavonia, Italy, Bohemia, and Lombardy under Austria's flag and Austria's deld- marshals. Indeed, your majesty, this war has given us something of far more value than Prussia's vote. The bloody baptism of the battle-field has made Austrians of all those who bled for Austi-ia's rights. " "That does not prevent that abominable man from clinging to my fair domain of Silesia. How will my ancestor, the great Charles, greet me, when I go to my grave, bearing the tidings that under my rei^ Austria has been shorn of a principality?" " No such tidings shall your majesty bear to your forefathers, " replied Kaunitz, fervently. " Leave Frederick alone with his bit of a principality ; more trouble than profit may it be to him ! Long before he will have transformed his' Silesian Austrians into loyal Prussians, we shall have repaired the damage he has done us by new and richer acquisitions. " "No, no, no!" cried the empress, "let us have no more war. What we do not possess by just right, I never will consent to win with the sword. " " But inheritance and alliance bestow rights, " persisted the min- ister. " Your majesty has marriageable daughters and sons, and it is time to think of negotiating honorable alliances for them. " The eyes of the empress sparkled, and her face beamed with happy smiles. The establishment of her children was her constant thought by night and day, and in broaching this subject, Kaunitz was meeting her dearest wishes. Her displeasure against him melted away like snow before the sun, and she gave herself up entirely to the pleasing discussion. " It will be diflScult to find husbands for my daughtei-s, " said she. "All the reigning heads of European families are married, and their sons are too young for Elizabeth and Amelia. I cannot maiTy my grown-up daughters to boys ; nor can I bring a set of insignificant sons-in-law to hang about the court. My husband the emperor would never consent to bestow his daughters upon petty princes, who, instead of bringing influence with them, would derive their reflected consequence from an alliance with us. If we cannot find them husbands worthy of their station, my daughters must remain single, or devote their lives to God. " "If your majesty's eldest daughters choose that holy vocation, politics need not interfere with their inclinations. The boyish heirs of European kingdoms can await the advent of the younger princesses. " " Let them wait, " said the empress ; " we will train noble queens for them. " "But the Archduke Leopold need, not wait," said Kaunitz ; "we wiU begin with him. The Spanish ambassador has received from 98 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COUKT. his sovereign, Carlos IV. , a letter directing him to offer his daugh- ter Maria Louisa to your majesty's second son. Kjiowing that his highness the Archduke Joseph is your majesty's successor, he sup- poses that the Emperor Francis will bestow upon his second son the grand duchy of Tuscany. " " A very good alliance, " returned Maria Theresa, nodding her head. " The women of the house of Bourbon are all estimable. Our lost Isabella was a lovely woman. Well, the grand-daughter of the King of Spain having died, let us renew our connection with him through hia daughter ; and may God grant to Leopold happier nup- tials than were those of my poor Joseph. " " The Archduke Joseph, too, must marry, " said Kaunitz. "Poor Joseph !" sighed the empress ; "even now his heart is fuU of sorrow ; and while he mourns his dead, we make plans to marry him to another ! But you are right, count ; he must marry. We cannot listen to his heart, he must sacrifice himself to duty. Aus- tria must have another heir. But let us give him a little respite. " " He will forget his sorrow when he is crowned King of Eome, '' said Kaunitz. " Ambition is certain to cure love ; and the posses- sion of a crown may well console any man for the loss of a woman. " Maria Theresa was displeased. "Do you deem it, then, so light a thing?" said she, with a frown, " to lose a beloved wife? Do you . think it great happiness to weair a crown? You know nothing either of the pains of power or the joys of marriage ; but I can tell you that many a time I would have fainted under the burden of my crown, had my Franz not sustained me with his loving and beloved hand. But what know you of love? Your heart is a market-place wherein you seek slaves for your harem, but no honorable woman would make it her home. I have heard scandalous reports concern- ing your house. Count Kaunitz ; I have — " A light knock was heard at the door, and as the empress gave the word, Father Porhammer entered the room. CHAPTER XXIV. MATRIMONIAL PLANS. Father Porhammer came forward, while the empress looked at him with a glance of astonishment. "Forgive me, your majesty, for this intrusion. It is in accord- ance with your gracious commands, whose fulfilment I have no right to delay. I was ordered by your majesty to prove the fact which I asserted. " "Well, have you the proof?" said the empress, impatiently. " I have, your majesty. It is in the carriage of the lord chancel- lor, at the great door of the palace. " The empress made an exclamation ; and her face grew scarlet with anger. Her stormy looks rested upon Kaunitz, who, perfectly unconcerned, seemed not to have heard what Porhammer had said. This undisturbed serenity on the pai-t of her minister gave the em- press time for recollection. She knew from experience that the lightning of her wrath would play harmlessly about the head of this living statue, and she felt more keenly than she had ever done be- MATRIMONIAL PLANS. 99 fore, that however Kaunitz's private life might shock her own sense of honor and decency, his vast intellect as minister of state was indispensable to Austi-ia. With a quick and haughty gesture, she motioned the priest away, and then began to pace up and down the length of the apart- ment. Kaunitz remained tranquil near the table, his cold glances rest- ing now on the papers, now on the pictures that hung opposite to him. He was busily engaged arranging his Alen^on ruffles, when the empress stopped, and fixed her fiery eyes upon him. " My lord chancellor. Count Kaunitz, tell me who sits in your carriage before the doors of my palace, awaiting your return from this conference ?" "Who sits in my carriage, your majesty? I was not aware that any one was there whose name it was necessary for me to announce to your imperial majesty. " " I can well believe that you would not dare to pronounce the name of that person in my presence, " cried the empress, indignantly : "but let me tell you, sir count, that your behavior is highly dis- pleasing to me, and that I blush to hear the things I do, to the disparagement of your honor and morality. " "Has your majesty any complaint to make of me as minister, or as president of council?" asked Kaunitz, almost roughly. "Havel not fulfilled the vows I made to your majesty ten years ago? Have I discharged my duties carelessly ? The ship of state which, in her hour of peril, was confided to my hands, have I not steered her safely through rocks and reefs? Or, have I been unfaithful to my trust? If your majesty can convict me of crime, or even of negli- gence, then sit in judgment upon the culprit. Tell me of what state offence am I accused?" "I do not speak of my prime minister," replied the empress somewhat embarrassed. "I have no fault to find with him. On the contrary, he has nobly kept the pledge he made to me and to my Austria, and he has been a wise, faithful, and conscientious servant. But this is not enough ; there are also duties to perform toward God, toward society, and toward one's self." " For your majesty, as well as for me, it suffices that I am true to my duties as your subject. As to my duty as a man, this is no place to discuss a matter which lies between God and myself. It would be indecorous for me to raise the veil of my private life before the eyes of your majesty. I came here to speak of Austria's welfare and yours, not of me or mine. " Without giving the empress time to make any reply, Kaunitz resumed the subject which had been interrupted by the visit of Father Porhammer. "Though your majesty may deem it expedient to postpone the marriage of the Archduke Joseph, still, that need not prevent us from taking the steps that will be necessary to secure an advanta- geous alliance for the heir to the throne. We can grant a respite to the Archduke of Austria, but the King of Eome must stifle his grief, and attend to the calls of duty. He must silence his heart, for the Emperor of Austria must have a successor. " "At least let us choose him a bride worthy to succeed in his affections the angelic wife he has lost," said the empress, with feeling. 100 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. Something like a smile flitted over Kaunitz's sardonic face. "Your majesty must pardon me, but you view this matter entirely too much as a thing of sentiment ; Whereas, in effect, it is an affair of policy. The main object of the archduke's marriage is to find a princess whose family can advance the interests of the state, and who is in a condition to bear children. " "And have you already found such a wife for my poor child?" asked the empress. "Have you one to propose whom policy will approve, and who will not be distasteful to the eye or the heart?" " She must be a German princess, " said Kaunitz. "Why MUST?" "Because the house of Hapsburg must court the. good will of all Germany, which, through this long war and fi'om the divided in- terests of the German people, it is in danger of losing. Prussia, grown morally strong by the war, is about to become the rival of Austria, and even now she seeks to have a voice in German politics. Northern Germany already inclines to Prussia by its sympathies of creed and opinion. If we allow this to go on, Prussia will divide Germany into two halves. The northern half, that which is Protes- tant, and in my opinion the wiger half, because free from the preju- dices of religion, will belong to enlightened Prussia ; the southern half, the bigoted Catholic portion, that which believes in the pope and his Jesuits, may perhaps adhere to Austria. Then comes revo- lution. Prussia will have for her allies, not only northern Germany, but Sweden, England, Holland, Denmark, even Russia. Every step she takes in advance will drive back Austria ; and the day may come when Prussia, our powerful enemy, will seek for the Margrave of Brandenburg the crown of the Kaisers. " "Never! never!" exclaimed Maria Theresa, passionately. "To think of this little Burgrave of Nuremberg, the vassal of Rudolf of Hapsburg, growing to be the rival of the stately house of Austria I No, no! Never shall the day dawn when Austria descends to an equality with Prussia 1 We are natural enemies ; we can no more call the Brandenburgs brothers than the eagle can claim kindred with the vulture ! You are right, count ; the strife of the battle- field is over, let us gird ourselves for that of diplomacy. Let us be wary and watchful ; not only the state but the holy church is in danger. I can no longer allow this prince of infidels to propagate his unbelief or his Protestantism throughout my Catholic fatherland. We are the ally and the daughter of our holy father, the pope, and we must be up and doing for God and for our country. Now let us think how we are to check this thirst of Prussia for power. " " There are two expedients, " said Kaimitz, calmly interrupting the empress in her torrent of indignation. " Let us hear them. " " The first one is to strengthen our interest with Germany either by offers of advantages and honors, payment of subsidies, or by matrimonial alliances. For this reason it is that the future King of Rome must choose his wife among the princesses of Germany. Through your majesty's other children we will ally ourselves to the rest of Europe. The Bourbons reign in the south, and they must all be allied to the house of Hapsubrg. Through the marriage of Archduke Leopold with the daughter of the King of Spain, we shall gam a powerful ally ; and the archduke himself, as Grand Duke of Tuscany, will represent Austria's interest in Italy. If the Crown MATRIMONIAL PLANS. 101 Prince of Parma and the young King of Naples unite themselves to two of your majesty's daughters, then all Italy will be leagued with Austria. When this is accomplished, the word 'Italy' will be a geographical designation, but the country will be an Austrian de- pendency. Now for Western Europe. For France, we must con- firm our alliance with her also. The son of the dauphin, the grand- son of Louis XV. , is now eleven years old ; just three years older than the Archduchess Marie Antoinette. " "Truly, Kaunitz, your plans are great," cried the empress, her face full of smiles and radiant with joy. "The emperor often calls me a match-maker, but I am an insignificant schemer by ymir side. I must say that I approve your plans, and will do all that I can to insui-e them success. " " The most of them are for the future ; before all things we must bestir ourselves about the present. You have seen how later, we can secure the friendship of the south ; that of the north must come through the marriage of the King of Rome. His selection of a Ger- man princess will incline all Germany toward your majesty's imperial house. Nearest to Prussia are the two important princi- palities of Bavaria and Saxony. " " And both have unmarried princesses, " exclaimed the empress, joyfully. " I wish we might select the daughter of the Elector of Saxony, for that house has suffered so much for Austria, that I would gladly do it this favor. But I have heard that the Princess Mary Kunigunde has verj' few charms. " " Perhaps Josepha of Bavaria may be handsomer, " said Kaunitz dryly. "She is nevertheless the daughter of Charles VII., and he has never been my friend. I have suffered much from this man, and would you have me accept his daughter as mine?" "There can be no resentment for bygones in politics," said Kaunitz, deliberately. " But there may be gratitude for 'past services, " exclaimed the empress, warmly. "I shall never forget how Hungary sustained me when this man would have robbed me of my crown. I never would have worn my imperial diadem but for the help of God, and the sword of St. Stephen, which my brave Magyars drew for me on the battle-field ! Without Hungary I would have been dethroned, and shall I now place the crown of St. Stephen's upon the brow of an enemy's daughter ! It would be an injustice to my loyal Hunga- rians. I shall give my voice to Mary of Saxony, but if Joseph prefers Josepha, I will not oppose his choice. And this matter set- tled, tell me your other plans for strengthening the power of Austria. " , , mi. "My second plan is to humanize the Hungarian nobles. These nobles reign in Hungary like so many petty sovereigns. There is no such thing as nationality among them. The country is divided into nobles and vassals. The nobles are so powerful that the govern- ment is completely lost sight of, and the real sovereigns of Hungary are the Magyars. " "That is in some sense true," answered the empress. 1 have often felt how dangerous to my rights was the arrogance of my Hungarian subjects. They lift their haughty heads too near the regions of royalty. " „, , ,t -j j.i. j. "And your majesty's great ancestor, Charles V., once said that 102 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COUET. nothing had a right to lift its head in the vicinity of a king. The very trees would he lop, that their branches might not grow too near to heaven ; how much more the heads of men, when they were raised too high. " "But such a policy shall never be mine — I will never buy obedi- ence with oppression. Besides, I have already said that I am under obligations to my Hungarian nobles, and I will not injure a hair of their heads. " ■' There are other ways of conquering besides the sword, " said the crafty Kaunitz. " Coercion would but fortify the Magyars in their insolence. Th^se haughty lords must be enticed from their fastnesses to Vienna. They must be greeted with honors, titles, and estates. They must be taught to love splendor, to spend money, to accumulate debts, until they become bankrupt, and their posses- sions in Hungary fall into the hands of the crown. " " What an infamous policy !" cried the empress. "Good, nevertheless," said Kaunitz calmly. "Nothing can be done with the Magyars by force. They must be vanquished by pleasure, and also by marriage. They must be made to take home Viennese wives, who will initiate them into the arts of refined life, who will help them to waste their money, and so cut off the wings of their freedom. He who has learned to love pleasure wiU have no taste for sedition, and he who is in debt is no longer free. Your majesty must bestow gifts and places at court ; the Magyars will grow ambitious — they will become hangers-on of princes, and— dis- sipation, ostentation, and extravagance will do the rest. " While Kaunitz was unfolding his satanic schemes, the empress walked up and down, in visible agitation. When he ceased, she came and stood before him, and with her searching eyes tried to look through the mask of his impenetrable countenance. " What you have said there, " said she, " is a mournful leaf from the book of worldly wisdom which guides your actions, and it is enough to make an honest heart ache to think that good is to be reached by such foul means. My heart stmggles against such a course, but my head approves it, and I dare not listen to my womanly scruples, for I am a sovereign. May the wiles of the women of Vienna make loyal subjects of my brave Hungarians ! I will bestow honors without end ; but for aught else, let it come as it may. Ex- travagance, debt, and sequestration, they must bring about them- selves. " "They will follow; and then sequestered estates must go to Austrian nobles, that our own people may mingle with the Magyars at home, and strengthen the influence of your majesty's house in Hungary. " "Say no more," said the empress, mournfully. "Bring them hither, if you can. But my heart aches, and my ears burn to have heard what you have said. Say no more of Hungary to me — let us speak of our bright plans for my children. It makes me happy to think that so many of them will wear crowns. " " The first will be that of the King of Eome, and I trust that, before his coronation, your majesty will have persuaded him to marry one of the two German princesses of whom we have spoken. " " The Saxon or the Bavarian, " said the empress. " I think he will comply — for he will understand as well as ourselves the urgency of the case. When is the coronation to take place ?" MATRIMONIAL PLANS. 103 " In two weeks, your majesty. " "Then poor Joseph has but fourteen days for his grief. When he returns from Frankfort, I shall remind him of his duty as a sovereign. But hark ! It is twelve o'clock— the hour for mass. If the lord chancellor has nothing more to propose, I — " " Pai-don me, your majesty. I have an insignificant petition to present — it concerns myself. " " It is a pleasure to me, " said Maria Theresa, " to think that in any way I can gratify you. Speak, then, without fear. What can I do to serve you?" "It is only for the sake of decorum, your majesty," replied Kaunitz. " You say that I have been useful to the coxmtry. I con- fess that I, too, think that I deserve something from Austria. If I were another man, and Kaunitz stood by, as I reviewed in my mind all that he has done and is trying still to do to make Austria power- ful, I would speak thus to your majesty : ' It is in the power of the empress to distinguish merit by elevating it to a position above the common herd. Your majesty has honored Count Kaunitz by call- ing him your right hand. When the head of a body politic is an empress, it is not enough for the right hand to be called a count. '" " Shall I call you prince ?" laughed Maria Theresa. "Just what I was about to propose to your majesty," said Kaunitz, as he made a deeper inclination than usual before the empress. "Then it shall be so," said she, warmly. "From this moment my esteemed minister is Prince Kaunitz, and the lettei-s patent shall be made out this very day. " She extended her hand to the new-made prince, who kissed it fervently. "I take this title, so graciously bestowed, not because it will confer splendor upon my own name, but because it will prove to the world that those who serve Maria Theresa with fidelity, she delights to honor. And now that this trifling matter is arranged, I beg your majesty's perniission to retire." "Until to-morrow, " replied the empress, with a smile. She waved her hand ; but as Kaunitz left the room, he heard her following him into the anteroom. He had already opened the door leading into the hall, but hearing her still advance, he turned again, and made a profound inclination. " Au revoir, my dear prince, " said the empress, loud enough for Father Porhammer, who waited to accompany her to the chapel, to hear her greeting. The father could not withhold some trace of his displeasure from his countenance, while Kaunitz, with a faint, derisive smile, passed on. The empress, at that moment, reopened the door, and came out into the hall. Father Porhammer, advancing to her, said, " Did I not prove to your majesty the truth of my statement con- cerning the immorality of — " "The what?" said the empress, with an absent air. "Oh yes, yes. I had forgotten. You wished to prove to me that the lord chancellor had some person in his carriage awaiting his return. I believe you, father— doubtless there is some one in the carriage of the lord chancellor, whom it would be improper to name in my presence. But listen to what I have to say on this subject. It is better for you and for me not to see what goes on either in the lord 8 104 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. chancellor's house or in his carriage. Close yonr eyes, as I shall mine, to whatever is objectionable in his life. I cannot afford to lose his services. So far as I am concerned, he is blameless. His life may be loose, but his loyalty is firm ; he is a wise and great statesman, and that, you wiU allow, is a virtue which may well cover a multitude of sins. " Father Porhammer bowed to the will of his sovereign ; Prince Kaunitz went on with his life of debauchery. "Let us hasten to the chapel," added the empress; and a page throwing open the doors of another apartment, Maria Theresa joined her lords and ladies in waiting, and the imperial court.entered the chapel. But the thoughts of the empress were more of earth than heaven, on that morning. Her heart was filled with maternal cares, and when the services were over, and she had arrived at the door of her cabinet, she dismissed her attendants, and summoned to her presence the marshal of the household. Count Dietrichstein. As soon as he appeared, Maria Theresa said eagerly : " Come hither, count. 1 wish to have a confidential conversation with you. You are an old and faithful servant of my family, and I know that I can depend upon your discretion. " " Your majesty well knows that I would sooner die than betray a secret of my imperial mistress, " exclaimed good, fat, old Dietrich- stein, fervently. The empress looked kindly at his red, good-humored face. " And you would rather die than tell me an untruth also, is it not so?" said she, smiling. "That," replied Cotmt Dietrichstein, with another smile, "that is an embarrassing question ; for there are cases, when even your majesty's self — " " Yes, yes ; but in this instance I earnestly desire to hear the im- varnished truth. " "If so, your majesty's desire is for me a command, and I will answer truthfully whatever you ask. " "Well, then, listen to me. You have just returned from a tour in Eavaria and Saxony. Of course you have seen the two princesses, Mary Kunigunde and Josepha. " " I know them both, " said Difetrichstein, pufiing. "Well, tell me what sort of person is the Princess Mary Kuni- gunde?" " She is slender, " replied Dietrichstein, shrugging his shoulders ; "slender as a bean-pole. If your majesty will pardon me the ex- pression in favor of its truth, her bones rattle as she walks, and if you should chance to touch her by accident, I pity you. " "What for?" "Because you wiU retreat from the collision bruised." " You are a wicked slanderer, count, " i-eplied the empress. " You mean to say that the Princess of Saxony is frail and feminine in her appearance. " "If your majesty pleases, so be it; but if you looked into her serene highness's face, you might mistake her for a man, neverthe- less. " "Holy Virgin I what does the man mean?" cried the empress, astounded. " I mean, " said the count, with a sort of comic seriousness, " that MATRIMONIAL PLANS. 105 the frail and feminine princess has a black beard -which a cornet might envy. " "Nonsense, count! you saw her at twilight, and mistook a shadow on her face for a beard. " " Pardon me, your majesty, you commanded me to tell the truth. I saw the princess by sunlight as well as by candlelight. Under all circumstances, this black shadow overhung her not very small mouth ; and I have strong reason for persisting in my opinion that it was a flourishing beai-d. " "But Josepha of Bavaria — is she handsomer?" "Handsomer, your majesty," cried the old count. "It is said that she is a good and estimable person ; if this be true, her soul is very, very different from her body. Indeed, her beauty may be said to rival that of the Princess Mary. " "You are a keen critic, " sighed the empress. "But suppose you were obliged to marry either one of the princesses, which one would you choose?" "Your majesty !" exclaimed the old count, horror-stricken. "I never would have the assurance to raise my eyes to thoughts of mar- riage -^ith a serene highness." " Well, then, " said the empress, " suppose you were a prince and her equal in birth, which one then would you prefer?" The count looked at the floor, and was silent. "The truth, the truth!" cried the empress. "Speak out and do not fear. V\ hatever you say shall be sacred with me. ' Now tell me, which of the two would you take to wife?" "Well, then," said Count Dietrichatein, with a grimace of ex- cessive disgust, " since your majesty obliges me to suppose the case, I will tell the truth. If by any artifice I could escape, nothing on earth would induce me to marry either one of them. But if the knife were at my throat, and I had no other way of saving my life, I would take the Princess Josepha, for she — " "Speak out," said the empress, amused, though sorely disap- pointed. "Youwouldmarry Josepha of Bavaria because—" " Because, " sighed the fat old count, " if she is horribly ugly, she has, at least, something like a woman's bosom." ■ ,^ „ Maria Theresa broke out into a hearty laugh. You are right, said she, "the reason is a very good one, and has its weight. 1 thank you for your candor, and will turn over m my mind wUat you have told me. " , . ,, t. i. a 4.i,„ " But your majesty has promised not to betray me, protested tne count with imploring look. ,.•,,, "And I will keep my pronyse faithfully, " replied the empress, reaching him her hand. " Nevertheless, I cling to the hope that you have exaggerated the defects of the princesses, and that they are not altogether as ugly as you have pictured them to me. ♦ Thin mnversfttion is historical, and the criticism of Count Dietrictetein upon the two prin^/i^ here related, is ahnoBt verbatim. See Wra^U's "Memoirs, "vol. ii,, page 40$. 106 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. CHAPTER XXV. JOSBPHA OF BAVARIA. Festivity reigned at the court and throughout the city of Vienna. The weather was cold, but the streets were thronged with people and hung with garlands. Nothing was thought of but balls, illu- minations, and dress. Every one was curious to see the splendid spectacle of the day — the entrance of the bride of the King of Rome into Vienna. The plans of the lord chancellor were beginning to unfold them- selves. The Archduke Joseph had been crowned King of Rome at Frankfort, and the empress on his return, had prepared him for his second bridal. He had stoutly refused at first, but Bnally had yielded to the reasonings of his mother and the persuasions of his father. He had been told to choose between Mary Kunigunde and Josepha. Not far from Toplitz, as if by accident, he met the Princess Mary out on a hunting party. The princess was on horseback ; but she rode awkwardly, and her demeanor was shy and ungraceful. She well knew the object of this casual meeting, and when the King of Rome approached to greet her, she tui-ned pale and trembled aa she felt the gaze of his large blue eyes. Her paleness did not increase her beauty, nor did her shyness contribute to make her interesting. Joseph was annoyed at her taciturnity and disgusted with her ugli- ness. After a few brief words he bowed, and galloped off to join his retinue. The princess looked sadly after him, and returned home with a troubled heart. She knew that she had been dis- dained, and that the King of Rome would never choose her for his bride. She was right. Joseph preferred the Princess Josepha, whom he had also "met by chance." He, like Count Dietrichstein, having the knife at his throat, selected her for his bride who was minus the flourishing black beard. It was the 23d of January of the year 1765, and the wedding-day of the King of Rome. Fi-om early morning the archduchesses at the palace had been practising a lyric drama from the pen of Metastasio called " II Pamasso Confuso. " The music was by Gluck, and his deep bass was heard accompanying the sweet rich voices of the bridegroom's sisters. They had studied their parts diligently, and felt quite confident of success, as thej* gathered around the maestro. But Gluck was never satisfied, and he kept Apollo and the Muses at their music-lesson until their ladies of honor were obliged to inform them that they must positively retire to their toilets, a courier hav- ing arrived to say that the princess had entered the gates of the city. While all these prepaiations were going on around him, the King of Rome tarried in his private apartments. He was in the room wherein he had locked himself after the death of Isabella, the room where day and night he had deplored his lost happiness, until Christina had so rudely awakened him from his dream of love and sorrow. This miserable consolation had had its effect. Joseph wiped away his tears, and having read Isabella's letters and convinced JOSEPHA OF BAVARIA. 107 himself that she never had loved him, he had forborne to murmur at her loss. On this, his bridal-day, he was thinking of the time when alone and heart-broken he had paced this room for three days and nights ; and now, surrounded by festivity and splendor, he paced the floor again, awaiting the moment when he should have to mount his horse and meet the princess. He was not with the living bride, but with the dead one ; and as he thought of her grace, her smiles, her sur- passing beauty, his lip curled with a sneer, and his brow grew dark and stormy. " And she, too, deceived me, " said he ; " those smiles, those glances, that love, all were false. While she lay in my arms and listened to my words of love, her heart Ivas in the grave with her murdered lover ! Oh, my God ! now that I know that she deceived me, in whom can I place my trust? Even now, what am I but a dependent boy, the slave of the empress and of her all-powerful minister, who force upon me a woman whom I hate, and bid me make her the mother of my children? Oh, when will my shackles fall, when shall I be free !" In the distancewas heard the dull sound of a cannon. " Already !" cried the unhappy bridegroom. "It is time for me to meet my bride, and to begin the loathsome farce of a second bridal. Verily, if I did not hate this Josepha, I could pity her. She will not find me a loving husband. The Queen of Rome will never be an envi- able woman !" So saying, he threw around his shoulders his velvet cloak edged with ermine, and left the room to join his retinue. They were to meet the princess and accompany her to the castle of Sohonbrunn. It was there that the imperial family awaited the bridal party, and there in the chapel the marriage was to be solemnized. The streets were thronged with people that shouted for joy ; the balconies and windows were filled with elegant women, who smiled and waved their hands in greeting to the royal pair. For all the world this was a day of rejoicing, except for the two persons for whose sake the rest rejoiced. These had no part in the universal gayety ; and the mirth which was inspired by their presence found no echo in their souls — Joseph's heart was full of dislike and ill- will toward his be&othed, and she was unhappy, fearing the recep- tion that awaited her. She had trembled as she thought of the meeting with Joseph, and then of the proud, powerful, and beauti- ful woman who was his mother. The fame of her intellect, fascina- tions, and beauty had reached the court of Munich, and poor Josepha knew very well that she was neither handsome, cultivated, nor charming. Her education had been neglected, and if she had attained to the honor of being Queen of Rome and Empress-elect of Austria, it was not that she had any right to a station so exalted, it was that her brother was childless and had promised his inheri- Josepha was sad as she thought of these things, but she could not suppress an emotion of joy when she saw the brilliant cortege that was coming from Vienna to meet her. This proud and handsome horseman, whose blue eyes shone like stars, this was her husband, the lord of her destinv ! She had seen him once before, and had loved him from that moment. True, he had not chosen her from inclination, but she could not shut her heart to the bliss of being 108 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. his wife, he who, to-day a king, would in future years place an imperial crown upon her brow. And now the two cavalcades met ; the carriage of the princess drew up, and the King of Rome dismounting, came toward her with a low inclination of the head. Around them stood the noblemen of his suite, whose splendid uniforms and decorations dazzled the eye with their brilliancy. They sprang from their horses and each one reverentially saluted the bride-elect. This done, the King of Rome assisted her to alight, that she might mount the magnificent horse which was now led forward by the empress's chief master of the horse. When her betrothed held out his hand to her, Josepha, blushing, looked at him with a tiniid and tender glance, which seemed to implore a return of her love. She could not speak a word, but she pressed his hand. Joseph, so far from returning the pressure, looked surprised — almost disdainful ; and, stepping back, he left to the master of the horse and the other lords in waiting the care of assisting the princess to mount. She sprang into the saddle with perfect confidence, and grasped her reins with so much skill, that although the beautiful animal reared and pranced until his bridle was covered with foam, his rider was perfectly at ease. " She is, at least, a good horsewoman, " said Joseph to himself, as he took his place by her side. And now the bells chimed merrily, and the cannon proclaimed to all Vienna that the royal pair were about to enter the city. Silently they rode through the fiower-strewn streets, silently they heard the joyous shouts of the multitude, here and there smil- ing wearily in return, but both tired of splendor, and both longing for rest. Neither spoke to the other; what had they to say to one another — they whom policy had chained together for life? At the farther end of the city the state-coach of the empress awaited the princess. With an indifferent and careless air, Joseph handed Josepha to the carriage. This time she dared not press his hand ; but as the door closed upon herself and her governess, she threw herself back upon the velvet cushions and wept bitterly. " For the love of Heaven, what mean these tears, your highness?" cried the governess. "Your highness's head-dress will be ruined, and your eyes will be swollen. " "'Tis true, " murmured Josepha, "I have no right to weep, as other women do, at such a time. I am nothing but a puppet, that laughs or weeps as etiquette ordains. " " Your highness is excited and does not see your destiny in its true light, " replied the lady, with sympathy. " It is one which any woman on earth might envy. You are about to become the wife of the handsomest prince in all Europe, an emperor in prospect, and son of the great Maria Theresa, whose beauty and goodness are the theme of the whole world. And then the lovely and accomplished Archduchesses of Austria — they are to be your sisters-in-law !" "Yes, "said the princess, passionately, "and look at me. You have known me since my infancy, dear friend, therefore you need not flatter me because of my station. Look at me, and tell me if it is not enough to break my heart, that I must appear before this beautiful empress and her daughters, and that I must try to win the affections of this prince, the glance of whose eye is enough to kindle JOSEPHA OF BAVARIA. 109 love in the heart of every woman living— oh say, and speak without reserve — teU me if a woman so obscure, so ignorant, and so destitute of charms, can ever hope to be loved or cherished by such a family ?" "Your highness is worthy of all aflfection, and deserves the choicest of the blessings that are in store for you, " replied the lady of honor warmly. " No one knowing your noble heart would say that any station is too exalted for you. " "Oh! who will be troubled with looking into my heart in imperial Vienna?" sobbed the disheartened Josepha. "Externals are every thing in court ; and I, unhappy one, who scarcely dare not utter my heart's yearnings to those who encourage me, what wiU become of me if I meet with cold glances or scornful words? I feel how little I am skilled to win love, and the consciousness of my defects heightens them and renders me still more repulsive. " " Your highness is unjust toward yourself. No one else would ever dream of speaking in such terms of you. Be happy, dear lady, and you will soon grow comely, too. " "Happy!" sighed the princess, looking from the window at the elegant and graceful prince, who, cold and stem as though he had been following the dead, vouchsafed not a look toward the_carriage where sat his bride. With another sigh she turned her head. Her eyes encountered those of the governess, fixed upon her in wondering sympathy. With a bitter smile Josepha laid her hand upon the shoulder of her friend. " I must tell you something, Lucy," said she — "something terri- ble and sad. Hear well my words, and mark them ! I already love my betrothed beyond power of expression ; but he will never return my love. I shall worship him, and I feel that he will hate me !" . Blushing painfully at the sound of her own words, the princess hid her face in her hands. The carriage stopped, and now the confused and self-tortured girl had to go forward to meet the emperor, who waited at the foot of the great staircase to conduct her to the presence of the empress. Maria Theresa came gracefully forward, surrounded by her beau- tiful daughters and a dazzling train of lords and ladies. Josepha's head reeled when she saw them, and almost fainting, she sank down at the feet of the empress. "Mercy, gracious empress, mercy I" sobbed the poor girl, almost beside herself with ten-or ; while,. regardless of all courtly decomm, she covered the hand of Maria Theresa with tears and kisses. A sneer was perceptible on the faces of the courtiers, and the young archduchesses smiled derisively ; but Maria Theresa, whose generous heart beat in sympathetic response to the emotion and fright of the poor young stranger, kindly raised her up, and, kissing her forehead, encouraged her with gracious words. " Be welcome, my daughter, " said she, in her clear and silvery voice. " May all the happiness be yours through life ! Come, my children, let us hasten to the chapel. " j, ^, tt- She made a sign to her husband, and took the arm of the Kmg of Rome. The emperor followed with the Princess Josepha, and now through the splendid halls, that dazzled the eye with festive magnificence, came the long train of courtiers and ladies that graced the pageant of this royal bridal. In the chapel, before the altar, stood Cardinal Megazzi, surrounded by priests and acolytes, all 110 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COUBT. arrayed in the pomp and splendor attendant on a solemn Catholic ceremony. The princess had not been wedded by proxy ; it was therefore necessary that she should be married with the blessings of the church, before she proceeded in state to the throne-room to receive the homage due to her as a queen. No time had therefore been given her to retire before the ceremony, and she was married in her travelling-dress. At the entrance of the chapel stood the new ladies in waiting of the Queen of Rome. One of them relieved her of her hat, which the empress replaced by a wreath of myrtle. Then Maria Theresa, having placed the hand of Josepha in that of her son, the imperial cortege approached the altar. As they stood before the chancel, the King of Rome, overcome by the bitterness of the moment, bowed his head to his unfortunate bride and whispered, " Poor Josepha, I pity you !" CHAPTER XXVI. THE MARRIAGE NIGHT. The ceremonial was over. The empress herself had conducted the young Queen of Rome to her apartments ; and she had stood by her side, while her tire-woman exchanged her dress of golden tissue for a light white negligee of finest cambric trimmed with costly lace. With her own hand Maria Theresa unfastened the myrtle-wreath and coronet of diamonds that encircled her daughter-in-law's brow. She then kissed Josepha affectionately, and, bidding her good-night, she besought the blessing of God upon both her children. And now the princess was alone in this vast apartment. On one side, under a canopy of blue velvet embroidered with gold, was the state-bed of the Queen of Rome. Close by stood the toilet of gold with its wilderness of jewels and etuis, all the gifts of the empress. On the walls of blue velvet hung large Venetian mirrors, filling the room with images of that gorgeous bed of state. In the centre, on a marble table, thirty wax-lights in silver candelabra illumined the splendor of the scene. The heavy velvet window curtains were closed ; but they threw no shadow, for the park of Schonbrunn was illuminated by two hundred thousand lamps, which far and near lit up the castle on this festive evening with a flood of fiery splendor.* The Queen of Rome was alone, her bridesmaids and attendants had left her, and she awaited her husband, who would enter her room through a private door which, close to the bed of state, led to his own apartments. With beating heart and in feverish suspense, trembling with hope and fear, Josepha paced her magnificent room. Heavy sighs broke from her bosom, hot tears fell from her eyes. " He will come, " cried she, wringing her hands, " he will come and look into my face with his heavenly blue eyes, and I — I shall cast down mine like a culprit, and dare not confide my secret to him. O God ! O God ! I have sworn to conceal my infirmity, for it is not contagious and will harm no one — and yet my heart mis- gives me when I think that — Oh, no ! no ! It will soon be over, and ♦Hormayer, "Keminisoencesof Vienna," vol. v., page 31. THE MARRIAGE NIGHT. Ill he will never have known it. Were he told of it, it might preju- dice him against me, and how could I bear to see those beauteous eyes turned away from me in disgust? I wiU keep my secret ; and after — my love shall atone to him for this one breach of faith. Oh, my God ! teach me how to win him ! I have nothing to bring to this splendid court save the gushing fountains of my love for him— oh, my father, why have I nothing but this to offer — why have I neither beauty nor grace to please my husband's eyes — for I love him, oh, I love him already more than my life !" She started, for she heard a sound near the side door. Now the key turned in the lock, and in another moment the king walked in. He still wore the magnificent Spanish court-dress in which he had received the homage of his marriage guests. The order of the Golden Fleece was on his breast, and also the sparkling diamond cross of the imperial house of Hapsburg. Josepha, blushing, recalled to mind her night negligee, and dared not raise her eyes. For a while they stood opposite to one another, Josepha in pain- ful confusion ; Joseph, his eyes bent with cold scrutiny upon her person. At length he approached and touched her gently on the arm. "Why do you tremble so?" asked he kindly. " Raise your head and look at me." Slowly she lifted her eyes, and looked at him with a gaze of entreaty. " Now, " said he, with a bitter smile, " am I so frightful that you have reason to tremble at my coming?" "I did not tremble from fear or fright," said she, in a voice scarcely audible. " Ah, you have no confidence in me, " said he, " you wish to hide your emotions from me. And yet madame, let me tell you that nothing but mutual and perfect confidence will help us through this hour and through life. Come, then, Josepha, I will set you the example. I will confide in you without reserve. Give me your hand and let us sit together on yonder divan." She placed her trembling hand within his, and he led her to the Bofa. A flood of deep and silent joy overwhelmed her heart, as alone in that royal apartment, which was hers, she sat by the side of this man whom she had ah-eady loved with passion. "First, madame, let me ask your forgiveness for accepting a hand which was not freely bestowed by yourself, but was placed in mine by the inexorable policy of the destiny that rules kings. In obeying the commands of your brother, you have not only married one whom you did not know, but perhaps you have been forced to stifle other wishes, other inclinations. " , „, ^, . ^ j. "No," cried she, earnestly, "no. I have left nothing to regret, I have made no sacrifice, I — " , ,, . • u "Yes you have sacrificed your freedom, the most precious boon that Heaven has bestowed on man, to become the galley-slave of policy and princely station. Poor Josepha, I pity you ! "Do not pity me," said Josepha, tearfully, "pity yourself whose freedom has been sacrificed to me. You have given your honored hand to a woman whom you do not love, a woman who would be *°°"*Had^she the power to free herself and me from this compulsory union," interrupted Joseph. "I believe you. for I read m your lis JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. countenance that your heart is good and noble, and gladly would contribute to the happiness of your fellow-creatures. But we must both accept the destiny which the hand of diplomacy has woven for us. The heads that wear the crowns must also wear the thorns. But we will try to lighten the pain to one another. You have be- come my loife without love, and I, too, have become your husband — without love. " Josepha's head fell, she sighed, and murmured something which Joseph could not hear. He went on ; "I do not come to you with vain pretensions of a man who fancies he has won an honorable woman's heart because the priest "has bid them love one another. I will not take advantage of the rights which either diplomacy or church has given me over you. Here at least there shall be no dissimulation ; here we shall both be privileged to avow honestly and honorably that we are not lovers. Then let us be friends. I come to you in all frankness, offering myself to be to you as a brother. Perhaps it may come to pass that I win your love ; perchance your goodness and your worth may win my sad heart back again to life — the day may come when we shall be able to say that we love each other. Let us await this day, and soften the interval by mutual confidence and trust. And should it ever come to us, Josepha, we will then seal with heart-felt embrace the bond which the church has made between us to-day. Take me, then, as brother and friend, and be to me a sister and companion. Will you, Josepha?" He reached out his hand, and looked at her with a glance of brotherly kindness. . She gave him hers with a mournful smile, and her eyes sought the ground. "Welcome, then, my friend and sister," said Joseph warmly. "Now for unreserved confidence. You promise me that, do you not?" " I promise, " gasped the poor girl. "And you will open your heart that I may read its every page?" " I will — I promise to keep nothing from you. " " I promise the same to you, and perhaps this plant of friendship may one day bear the flowers of love. You are inexperienced in the ways of court-life. You will need a pilot to steer you safe amid reefs and breakers. I will be this pilot to you, I will teach you what to suspect and to avoid. Above all, never venture to have an opinion that does not coincide with that of the empress. We are all a pious and well-brought-up family who see with her eyes, and hear with her ears, and never dare confess that we possess sight or hearing in our own persons. Recollect that you, too, must fall in the line of puppets, and give up your senses to the empress. " " But in the depths of my own heart I trust that I may see with the eyes of the King of Rome, " replied Josepha with a smile. " For if I am to learn from you, I must surely dare to use my senses. '' "Yes ; but let no one suspect that you learn any thing from me. In this court we tread on flowers ; and if one of our flowers chances to wither we cover it over with a pater-noster, and that makes all right again. " "But suppose it will not be made right?" returned Josepha. "Suppose that prayer should fail?" " Gracious Heaven, what do I hear !" cried Joseph. " What pro- fane doubt are you so bold as to utter I You do not belong to the THE MARRIAGE NIGHT. 113 Btupid, pious band, who think that prayer cures all woes? Poor Josepha, let no one but me hear such heresy from your lips — pray, pray ; or make believe to pray ; no one will ever ask you whether your heart is in it or not. And if any one seeks to know, answer nothing. Pray on, and mistrust every one." " What ! mistrust the generous friend whom kind Providence has given to me this day !" cried Josepha with feeling. "That I can never do. You have encouraged me to confide in you, and even had you not done so, you would have won my confidence unsought. " •' I am glad that you think so, " returned Joseph. _ " Let us begin at once, then. Have you a wish that I have it in my power to gratify? Or have you any thing in your heart which you will con- fide to me as a proof of your faith in my friendship?" Josepha started, and her cheeks grew white with fear. This question awakened her from her short dream of hope and happiness, and she remembered that she had a secret which it was her duty to reveal to her husband. She looked furtively at him. Perhaps he had heard something, and this was a trial of her truth. But no ! His face was tranquil and unsuspecting ; there was nothing searching in the glance of his deep-blue eyes. No I he knew nothing, and wherefore cloud the brightness of the hour with a confession which might crush its promise of future bliss? " Well, " said Joseph kindly, " is there nothing on your heart that you would confide to your friend?" " No !" at last said Josepha resolutely. " My life has been dull and uneventful. It is only to-day that I begin to live ; the sun of hope is dawning upon my heart ; I feel as if I might — " " Hark !" said Joseph, " I think I hear some one coming. Yes ; there is surely a light tap at the door. " . , • j The king rose hastily and crossed the room toward the little side- door. . ,. , "Is any one there?" asked he in a loud tone of displeasure. "Yes, your majesty," whispered a trembling voice, "and I pray you earnestly to open the door. " , ., r. "It is my valet Anselmo," said Joseph to the princess, while he withdrew the bolt. . . , , j It was Anselmo, in truth, who, with mysterious mien, beckoned to his lord to come out. . . ir.iT " Will your majesty condescend to step into the corridor, that l may deliver the message with which I am intrusted?" said the valet. "Is it so weighty, Anselmo, that it cannot m upon your con- science until morning?" ... • i f T ,™= +^M "Not one moment can I defer it, your majesty, for I was told that your majesty's well-being and health depenaed upon my ^^The king stepped outside and closed the door. "Who sent you hither, Anselmo?" asked he. "I do not know, sire, but I suspect. It was a female form en- veloped in a long black cloak, with a hood which concealed her faca She came from the gallery which leads to f e/PX*^?^*^our their imperial highnesses, your majesty's sisters and entered your majesty's own cabinet, which I had left open while I was lighting vour maiesty hither. " , . . j.. ii "And what said she?" asked the king impatiently. " She asked if your majesty had gone into the queen s apartments. 114 JOSEPH II.»AND HIS COURT. When I told her that you had, she held out this note and said : ' Speed to the king, and as you value his health and welfare, give him this note at once. ' She disappeared, and here, your majesty, is the note. " The king took the paper, which by the dim light of the corridor he could not read. "And who do you think is the mysterious lady, Anselmo?" asked he. " Sire, I do not know. Perhaps your majesty will recognize the handwriting. " "I wish to know, Anselmo, who ycM think was hidden under that cloak?" " Well, then, your majesty, " said Anselmo, in a whisper scarcely audible, ^'I think it was the Archduchess Christina. " "I suspected as much," said the king to himself. "It is some intrigue of hers against the Princess Josepha, whom she hates be- cause I selected her in preference to the sister of Christina's lover, the Elector of Saxony. " * Perhaps Anselmo understood a few words of this soliloquy, for he continued : " A courier arrived from Saxony, and I was told by my sister, the tire-woman of her highness, that the Archduchess Christina had received a packet of letters. " " Very well, Anselmo, "said the king, " if to-morrow you should be asked whether you delivered the note, say that I tore it up with- out opening it. Do you hear ?" Dismissing the valet with a wave of the hand, he .returned to the princess. " Pai-don. me, " said he, "for leaving you, and allow me in your presence to read a note which has just been mysteriously delivered into my hands. I wish to give you a proof of my confidence, by in- trusting you at once with my secrets. " So saying, he approached the marble centre-table, and opened the letter. What was it that blanched Josepha's cheek and made her tremble, as Joseph smiled and looked at her? Why did she stare at him while he read, and why did her heart stand stiU with fright, as she saw his expression change? He seemed shocked at the contents of the note, and when he raised his eyes and their glance met that of Josepha, she saw them filled with aversion and scorn. "Madame," said he, and his voice had grown harsh, "madame, I asked you in good faith whether you had anything to confide to my honor. I expressed a desire to win your confidence. You answered that you had nothing to tell. Once more I ask, have you any thing to say ? The more humiliating the confession, the more will I appreciate your candor. Speak, therefore. " Josepha answered not a word. Her teeth chattered so painfully that she could not articulate ; she trembled so violently that she had to grasp the back of an arm-chair for support. Joseph saw this, and he laughed a hoarse and contemptuous * The Princess Christina was in love with the Elector of Saxony; but the Em- peror Francis was opposed to the marriage. Christina used all her influence to bring about a marriage between her brother and Mary Kunigunde, the sister of her lover, hoping thereby to pave the way for her own union with the handsome Albert. Failing in this, she besame the bitter enemy of the unhappy woman to whom Joseph had given the preference. THE MARRIAGE NIGHT. 115 laugh. She did not ask him why he sneered. She threw herself at his feet, and raised her arms imploringly, " Mercy, " cried the unhappy woman, " mercy !" He laughed again, and held the paper before her eyes. "Read, madame, read!" said he rudely. " I cannot, " sobbed she. " I will not read what has been written of me. I will tell you myself all that I know. I will confide my secret to you ; I will indeed. " " You have nothing to confide, madame, '' cried Joseph. " With a sincere and holy desire to perform my duty, I asked for your friendship and your confidence. I cast them both back, for you have allowed the hour of trust to go by ! Now it is too late ! You are accused. Do not look to me for protection ; vindicate yourself if you can. Read this letter, and tell me if the writer speaks the truth." Josepha still knelt at his feet ; but her arms had fallen in de- spair. She knew that she had nothing more to hope from her hus- band : she felt that she was about to be sentenced to a life of utter misery. "You will not read?" said Joseph, as unnoticed, Josepha lay at his feet. " If so, I must read the letter for you myself. It warns me not to come too near to your royal person. It — " "I will spare you, sire," exclaimed she, as with the energy of despair she rose to her feet. " You will not let me speak, you shall see for yourself !" With a frantic gesture, she tore her dress from her neck and shoulders, and heedless that she stood with arms and bosom exposed, she let it fall to the floor, and bowed her head as if to receive the stroke of the headsman's axe. " Know my secret, " said she, as she folded her hands and stood before her outraged husband. "And now hear me. A few months ago I had a beloved brother, whom I loved the more that he was un- fortunate and afilicted. From his childhood he had suffered from a malady which his physicians called leprosy. The very servants deserted him, for it was said that the disease was contagious. I loved my brother with devotion ; I went to him, and nursed him until he died. God shielded me, for I did not take the malady. But on my neck and back there came dark spots which, although they are painful, are not contagious. My physicians told me that my strong constitution had rejected the leprosy, and these spots were a regeneration of my skin, which would soon disappear. This, sire, is my fatal secret ; and now judge me. It is in your power to make me the happiest of mortals, by gi-anting me a generous pardon ; but I will not complain if you condemn and despise me. " " Complain if you choose, it is indifferent to me, " cried Joseph, with a hoarse laugh. " Never in this world shall you be my wife. If the hateful tie that binds me to you cannot be unloosed, I will make you answerable for every day of disgust and misery that I am i forced to pass under the same roof with you. If I am cursed before the world with the name of your husband, I shall punish you in secret with my everlasting hate. " As if stricken by lightning, she fell to the floor. Her fallen dress exposed to view her beautiful form. Her arms, which were folded above her head, were round and white as those of a Greek statue ; and as she lay with her full, graceful shoulders bared almost 116 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. to the waist, she looked like Niobe just stricken by the wrath of a god. Joseph was unmindful of this. He had no sympathy with the noble sacrifice which her loving heart had offered to a dying brother. He saw neither her youth nor her grace ; he saw but those dark spots upon her back, and he shuddered as she raised her arm to clasp his feet. "Do not touch me," exclaimed he, starting back. "Your touch is pollution. We are forever divorced. To day the priest joined our hands together, but to-night I part them never more to meet. Farewell." And hurling at her prostrate form the letter which had betrayed her, he turned and left the room. CHAPTER XXVII. AN UNHAPPY MAEBIAGE. It was the morning after the wedding. Maria Theresa had just completed her toilet, and was smiling at her own beautiful image reflected in the looking-glass. She looked every inch an empress in her rich crimson velvet dress, with its long and graceful train, and its border of ermine. Her superb blond hair had been exquisitely dressed by her little favorite Charlotte von Hieronymus. It was sprinkled with gold-powder, and the coiffure was heightened by a little cap of crimson velvet, attached to the hair by arrows of gold set with costly brilliants. The complexion of the empress was so lovely, that she never wore rouge ; and surely such eyes as hers needed none of the " adulteries of art" to heighten their brilliancy or beauty. Although she was in her forty-ninth year, and had given birth to sixteen children, Maria Theresa was stiU beautiful ; not only youthful in appearance, but youthful in heart, and in the strength and greatness of her intellect. She loved the emperor as fondly as she had done twenty-eight years before, and each of her ten living children was as dear to her maternal heart as if each had been an only child. She had arrayed herself with unusual magnificence to celebrate the entry of the newly-married couple into Vienna. The imperial cort&ge was to stop at the cathedral of St. Stephen, there to witness the bridals of twenty-five young couples, all of whom the empress had dowered in honor of her son's second marriage. " Surely the prayers of these fifty lovers will bring happiness upon the heads of my son and his wife, " said the empress to herself. " They need prayers indeed, for poor Josepha is very unlike our peerless Isabella, and I fear she will not be attractive enough to cause the dead to be forgotten. Still, she seems mild and kind- hearted, and I have already read in her eyes that she is in love with Joseph. I hope this will lead him to love her in return. Some- times a man will love a woman through pity, afterward through habit. " A nervous and impatient knock at her door interrupted the cur- rent of the empress's thoughts ; the door was flung open without further ceremony, and the King of Rome entered the room. He AN UNHAPPY MARRIAGE. 117 was pale and agitated, and to his mother's affectionate welcome he replied by a deep inclination of the head. The empress perceived at once that something was wrong, and her heart beat rapidly. "My dear boy, "said she, "you do not wear a holiday face, and your young bride — " "I have no bride," interrupted Joseph, angi-ily. "I have come to beg of your majesty to discontinue these rejoicings, or at least to excuse me from appearing in public at the side of the Princess of Bavaria. She is not my wife, nor ever shall be !" "What means this?" stammered the empress, bewildered. " It means that my marriage is null and void ; and that no human power shaU force me to be husband of a creature tainted with leprosy. " The empress uttered a cry of horror. " My son, my son !" exclaimed she, " what imheard-of charge is this?" "A charge which is a miserable truth, your majesty. Do you not remember to have heard that the natural son of Charles of Ba- varia had died, not long ago, of leprosy which he had contracted during a journey to the East? Well, his tender and self-sacrificing half-sister volunteered to nurse him, and was with him until he died. Your majesty, no doubt, will look upon this as something very fine and Christian-like. I, on the contrary, would have found it more honorable, if the princess had advised us of the legacy she wears upon her back. " " Woe to her and to the house of Bavaria, if you speak the truth, my son !" cried the empress, indignantly. " If your majesty will send Van Swieten to her, you may con- vince yourself of the fact. " A few moments later Van Swieten entered the room. His fame was European. He was well known as a man of great skill and science ; added to this, his noble frankness and high moral worth had greatly endeared him to the imperial family. Maria Theresa went hastily forward to meet him. "Van Swieten, " said she, with a voice trembling from agitation, "you have been our friend in many an hour of sorrow, and many a secret of the house of Hapsburg has been faithfully buried in your loyal heart. Help me again, and, above all, let it be in secrecy. The King of Rome says fearful things of his wife. I will not be- lieve them imtil I hear your verdict. Go at once, I implore you, to the princess, and command her, in my name, to declare her malady. " "But, your majesty, she has not called for my advice," replied Van Swieten, with surprise. "Then she must take it unasked," said the empress. "The prin- cess will receive you, and you will know how to win her to reveal her condition. As soon as you leave her, return to me. " Van Swieten bowed and left the room. The empress and her son remained together. Neither spoke a word. The King of Rome stood in the embrasure of a window, looking sullenly up at the sky. The empress walked hun-iedly to and fro, careless that her violent motions were filling her dress with the gold powder that fell from her head like little showers of stars. "Christina was right to warn me," said she, after a long pause. "I never should have consented to this alliance with the daughter 118 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. of my enemy. It is of no use to patch up old enmities. Charles was humbled and defeated by me, and now comes this Josepha to revenge her father's losses, and to bring sorrow to my child. Oh, my son, why did you not follow my counsel, and marry the Princess of Saxony? But it is useless to reproach you. The evil is done— let us consult together how best we may bear it. " "Not at all!" cried Joseph. "We must consult how we may soonest cast it away from us. Your majesty will never require of me the sacrifice of remaining bound to that woman. I obeyed your behest ; and in spite of my disinclination to a second marriage, I bent my will before the necessities of diplomacy, and the command of my sovereign. But we are now on a ground where the duty of a subject ends, and the honor of a man stands preeminent. I never will consent to be the husband of this woman whose person is dis- gusting to me. Far above all claims of political expediency, I hold my right as a man. " " But you hold them with unbecoming language, " replied the empress, who did not at all relish the tone of the King of Rome. "And let me tell you, my royal son, that an upright and honorable prince thinks less of his rights as a man than of his duties as a ruler. He strives, while a prince, to be a man ; and while a man, to sacri- fice his inclinations to the calls of a princely station. " " But not his personal honor, " cried Joseph. " Your majesty|s code is that of Maochiavelli, who counsels a prince rever to let his feelings as a man interfere with his policy as a ruler. " The empress was about to make an angry rejoinder to this remark, when the door opened, and Van Swieten reappeared. "Ah !" said the empress, "did you see her. Van Swieten?" "Yes, your majesty," replied Van Swieten, with emphasis, "I have seen the Queen of Rome. " " Do you mean to say that she has no disease that unfits her to be the wife of the King of Rome ?" asked Maria Theresa. "Her only malady is a cutaneous one, which in a short time will be completely cured. Some persons are so liappily organized that they throw off disease, even when in contact with it. The princess possesses this sound and healthy organization. The poison which she inhaled by her brother's bedside, has settled upon her skin in a harmless eruption — her constitution is untouched. In a few weeks all trace of it will disappear, and nothing will remain to remind us of her noble disregard of self, save the memory of her heroism and magnanimity. For, indeed, your majesty, it is easier to confront death on the battle-field than to face it in the pestiferous atmos- phere of a sick-room. " Maria Theresa turned with a radiant smile toward her son. " You see, my son, " said she, " that you have done injustice to your noble wife. Go, then, and entreat her forgiveness. " " No, your majesty, " said a soft voice behind them, " it is for me to implore my husband's forgiveness. " The empress turned and beheld her daughter-in-law, splendidly attired, but pale and wan with unmistakable grief. "Josepha, how came you hither?" asked she. " I followed Herr van Swieten, " replied Josepha. " He told me that your majesty and the King of Rome were here, awaiting his verdict, and I judged from his manner that it would be in my favor. Therefore I came, and having heard his flattering words, which I AN UNHAPPY MARRIAGE. 119 do not deserve, I am here to inculpate myself. No, Herr van Swieten, if there were any merit in suffering for a brother whom I dearly loved, it would all be etfaced by the wrong which I have done to the King of Rome. I feel that. I was guilty in not confiding my malady to your majesty, and I bow my head before the justice of my punishment, severe though it may be. " " It shall not be severe, my daughter, " said the empress, whose kind heart was completely overcome by Josepha's humility— "I, for my part, forgive you ; you are already sufficiently punished. " "I thank your majesty," returned Josepha, kissing her out- stretched hand. "It is easy for one so magnanimous, to pardon the guilty ; but my husband, will he also forgive me?" She turned her pale and imploring face toward Joseph, who, with his arms crossed, looked scornfully back. "No, "said she sadly, "no. To obtain his forgiveness, I must make a full confession of my fault. " She approached the window, but her head was cast down so that she did not see with what a look of hate Joseph beheld her advanc- ing toward him. " To obtain your pardon, sire, " said she, " I must say why I de- ceived you. It was because I preferred perjury to the loss of my earthly happiness — the unspeakable happiness of being your wife. I was afraid of losing my treasure. For I love you beyond all power of expression ; from the first moment of our meeting, I have loved you, and this love which, thanks to Almighty God, I have a right to avow before the world — this love it was that misled me. Oh, my husband, have mercy, and forgive the fault that was born of my ex- cessive love for you. A whole life of love and obedience shall atone for my sin. Forgive me, forgive me, for the sake of my love !" And, overwhelmed by her grief, the princess knelt at the feet of her husband, and raised her hands in supplication for pardon. The empress looked on with sympathetic heart and tearful eyes ; she expected at every moment to see Joseph raise up his wife, and press her to his heart for her touching avowal of love. She expected to hear him implore forgiveness ; but she was sadly mistaken. Joseph stood immovable, his eyes flashing scorn and fury at the kneeling princess before him. This outraged all the pride of Maria Theresa's womanhood. Hastily approaching Josepha, and stretching her arms toward her, she said : " If Joseph has no mercy in his obdurate heart, I at least will not witness such humiliation on the part of his wife. Rise, my daughter, and take shelter under my love ; I will not suffer you to be oppressed — not even by my own son. " She would have raised Josepha, but the poor girl waved her gently back. "No, dear lady, "said she, sobbing, 'Uet me remam mitil he forgives me. " "Let her remain, your majesty," cried Joseph with a burst of wrath, "she is in her proper place. But if she means to kneel until she has obtained my forgiveness, let her kneel throughout all eter- nity! I consented to this marriage for expediency's sake, and I would have done my best to make the burden as light for us both as lay in my power. Your majesty knows how she has deceived me ; you have heard her pitiful lie with its pitiful excuse. I might have forgiven her for manying me, with her disgusting disease, but for being a liar — never !" 9 130 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. "Enough," cried the empress, as much excited by her son's ob. duracy as by Josepha's touching confession. " This scene must end, and so help me God, it shall never be enacted a second time ! You are bound to one another for life, and together you shall remain. Each mortal has his weight of grief to bear. Bear yours in silence, and bear it as becomes your dignity and station. Have the manli- ness to smile before the world, my son, as beseems a prince who has more regard for his princely duties than for his rights as a man to happiness. " And with that imposing grandeur which Maria Theresa knew so well how to assume, she continued : " Rise, Queen of Rome, and never again forget either your own royal station or the dignity of your womanhood. Give her your hand, my son ; if you will not love, you must at least honor and respect your wife. The bells of Vienna even now are pealing your welcome ; the people await their sovereigns, and it does not become us to keep them in suspense on such an occasion as this. " Without looking back to see the effect of her words, the empress left the room, and called to her pages to fling wide the palace doors. " Apprise the court that we are ready to move, " said she, in a commanding voice, "and let the carriages approach." The pages threw open the wide doors ; the emperor and the arch- duchesses entered, and following them came the courtiers and ladies of the imperial household in aU the splendor of flashing jewels and costly robes. The empress, with unrufiled serenity, advanced to meet them. Not once were her eyes oast behind toward the unhappy couple, whom she knew perfectly well had yielded to the force of circum- stances, and were already throwing the veil of etiquette and courtly decorum over their bleeding hearts. An hour later the imperial family made its entry into Vienna. In her gilded state-carriage sat the proud and beautiful empress, and at her side was the pale Queen of Rome. On either side of the carriage rode the two husbands, the Emperor Francis of Lorraine and the King of Rome. The people once more shouted for joy, wishing long life to the imperial pair, and joy to the newly-married couple. From one side to another the empress and the queen bowed and smiled to aU, while the King of Rome thanked the enraptured Viennese for their welcome. On this day appeared a new color in Vienna, so called in honor of Joseph's deep-blue eyes ; it was called " imperial blue. " And the bells chimed ; the cannon roared ; while in the cathedral the fifty lovers awaited the King and Queen of Rome, whose mar- riage filled all hearts with joy, and seemed to realize every dream of happiness on earth. CHAPTER XXVIII. A statesm.an's hours of daluancb. "Are there many people in the anteroom?" asked Prince Kaunitz of the state referendarius, Baron Binder. " Yes, your highness, " returned Binder, " all waiting impatiently for your appearance. " A STATESMAN'S HOURS OP DALLIANCE. 121 "Let them wait, the stupid, strutting representatives of little- ness ! The more insignificant the petty masters, the more conceited are the petty ambassadors. I have no time to see them to-day. We are at peace with the whole world, and our only diplomacy regards marrying and giving in marriage. " " So far you have nothing to boast of in that line, " said Binder, laughing. " There are all sorts of stories afloat about the unhappy marriage of the King of Rome. Some go so far as to say that he shows his dislike in public. " " Bah ! what matters it whether a prince is a happy husband or not? When a king sets up pretensions to conjugal felicity, he is either an egotist or a fool. If the King of Rome cannot love his good, stupid, ugly wife, he can make love to the dowry she brings him. A goodly inheritance comes with her; what matters it if a woman be thrown into the bargain?" "Ah, prince, a woman is sometimes harder to conquer than a province ; and I think the King of Rome would much rather have won his Bavaria with the sword." "Because he is a blockhead full of sublime nonsense, who mis- takes his love of novelty for wisdom. He would break his head against a wall, this obstinate King of Rome, while I crept sately thorough a mouse-hole. Walls are not so easily battered down as he supposes ; but mouse-holes abound everywhere, as this sapient king will find out some of these days. It was much easier for us to creep into Bavaria with the help of the lovely Josepha, than to flourish our sword in her brother's face. He has not long to live, and we shall come peacefully in possession of his fair province. " "Or rather, the war for its possession will be waged in the king's private apartments. " . "On that silly subject again !" exclaimed Kaunitz, impatiently. " If yoiu' heai't bleeds so freely for the sentimental sorrows of the King of Rome, you may have another opportunity for your sensi- bilities in the marriage of his brother Leopold ; for I assure you that his intended is not one whit handsomer, or more intelligent, than Josepha of Bavaria. So you see that the King of Rome will not be apt to envy his brother. " "Your highness is to escort the Infanta of Spain to Innspruck?" " Not I, indeed ; that honor I do not confer upon insignificant princesses who are nothing but grand-duchesses elect. I go to Innspruck one day sooner than the imperial family, to inspect the preparations for the festivities, and then I shall go as far as the gates of Innspruck — no farther, to receive Donna Maria Louisa. " " That is the reason why your levee is so crowded to-day, " replied Binder laughing. " The foreign ministers wish to take leave of their master. And now they have waited long enough for you, prince. " "I shall not see one of them. Austria, thanks to me, is now so powerful, that I need give myself no concern to soothe the anger of a dozen petty envoys, and to-day there are none other in the ante- room. " "The Dutch and Saxon ministers," urged Binder. " Little nobodies, " said Kaunitz, with a shrug. " I will not see them." ^ , " But, indeed, you presume too much upon their littleness. Only yesterday you invited the Hessian ambassador to dine, and then you sal down to table without him. " 123 JOSEPH 11. AND HIS COURT. " He was three minutes behind the time. And do you imagine that Prince Kaunitz waits for a poor little Hessian envoy? I did it on purpose to teaoh him punctuality. " Here the prince rang a bell, and ordered a page to dismiss the gentlemen in the anteroom.* Baron Binder looked after the page and shook his head. Kaunitz smiled. "Enough of ambassadors for to-day. The ship of Austria lies proudly and safely in the haven of her own greatness ; and would you deprive the pilot of a few hours of relaxation ? I shall have to take the helm again to-morrow, when I go to Innspruck, and do you grumble if for a few hours I enjoy life to-day ?" "I was not aware that dismissing one's visitors was a way to enjoy life, " said Binder. " I do not mean that, you old pedant. Do you hear that tapping at the door?" " Yes, I hear it. It is from the little private door that leads to the corridor. " "Well, that corridor, as you know, leads to a side-entrance of the palace, and if you look out of the window you will see there the equipage of the handsomest, frailest, and most fascinating actress in all Vienna — the equipage of the divine Foliazzi. Hear how the knocking grows louder. My charmer becomes impatient. " " Allow me to I'etire, then, " said Binder, " and leave the field to the prima donna. " As he left the room, he muttered : " If Kaunitz were not a great statesman, he would be a ridiculous old fop !" Kaunitz listened with perfect unconcern to the I'epeated knock- ing of his charmer until Binder was out of sight, then he walked up to the looking-glass, smoothed his locks, straightened his ruffles, and drew the bolt of the door. The beautiful Foliazzi, in a coquet- tish and most becoming morning-costume, radiant with smiles and beauty, entered the room. Kaunitz greeted her coldly, and answered her rapturous saluta- tion by a faint nod. " Your impatience is very annoying, Olympia, " said he ; "yoa beat upon my door like a drum-major. " " Your highness, it is the impatience of a longing heart, " said the singer. " Do you know that it seems to me a thousand years since last I was allowed to enter these gates of Paradise ! For eight days I have been plunged in deepest sorrow, watching your carriage as it passed by my house, snatching every note from my footman's hands in the hope that it might be one from you — hoping in vain, and at last yielded myself up to fell despair. " " You express yourself warmly, " said Kaunitz, unmoved. " Yes, indeed ; for a feeling heart always finds strong expression, " answered the signora, showing a row of teeth between her I'osy lips tha:t looked like precious pearls. "And now my adored reprobate, why have you banished me from your presence for an eternity? Which of my two enemies have prevailed against me, politics or the Countess Clary ? Justify yourself, unkind but beloved prince ; say that you have not deceived me, for my heart yearns to forgive you?" She came very, very near, and with her bewitching smiles looked up into Kaunitz's face. Kaunitz bent to receive the caress, and laid his hand fondly upon her raven black hair. " Is it true that you have longed for me — vei-y true indeed?" said he. * Report of the Prussian ambassador Baron Furst to Frederick II. A STATESMAN'S HOUES OF DALLIANCE. 123 " I nbver knew how dear you were to me until I had endured the intolerable pangs of your absence, " replied Foliazzi, leaning her head upon the prince's shoulder. "You love me, then, Olympia? Tell me, dearest, tell me truly?" "Unjust ! You ask me such a question !" cried the signora, put- ting her arms around the prince's neck. "If I love you? Do you not feel it in every pulsation of my heart? do you not read it in every glance of my eyes? Can you not feel that my only thought is of you — my only life, your love ?" " I am really glad to hear it, " said Kaunitz, with statue-like tranquillity. " And now I will tell you why I have not sent for you this past week. It was that I might not interrupt your tender in- terviews with Count Palflfy, nor frighten away the poor enamoured fool from the snares you were laying for him. " The signora looked perfectly Eistounded. "But surely," stam- mered she, " your highness does not believe — " " Oh, no ! I believe nothing ; I know that the Olympia who loves me so passionately, has been for two days the fair friend of the young, rich, and prodigal Count Palflfy. " Here the signora laughed outright. " But, your highness, if you knew this, why did you not stop me in my protestations, and tell me so?" "I only wanted to see whether, really, you were a finished actress. I congratulate you, Olympia ; I could not have done it better myself. " " Prince, " said tho signora, seriously, " I learned the whole of this scene from yourself ; and in my relations with you I have fol- lowed the example you gave me. While you swore eternal love to me, you were making declarations to the Countess Clary. Oh, my lord, I have suffered at your hands, and the whole world sympa- thizes with my disappointment ! The whole world knows of your double dealings with women, and calls you a heartless young libertine. " "Does it?" cried Kaunitz, for a moment forgetting his coldness, and showing his satisfaction in his face. " Does it, indeed, call me a heartless young libertine?" " Yes, " replied the signora, who seemed not to see his gratifica- tion. " And when people see a man who is adored by women, and is false to them all, they say, 'He is a little Kaunitz. '" When the signora said this, Kaunitz did what he had not done for years, he broke out into a laugh, repeating triumphantly, "A little Kaunitz. But mark you, " continued he, " other libertines are called little Kaunitzes, but I alone am the great Kaunitz. " " True, " sighed the sig-nora, " and this great Kaunitz it is who has abandoned me. While I worshipped the air he breathed, he sat at the feet of the Countess Clary, repeating to her the self -same pro- testations with which an hour before he had intoxicated my senses. Oh, when I heard this, jealousy and despair took possession of my soul. I was resolved to be revenged, and so I permitted the advances of Count Palflfy. Ha ! while I endured his presence, I felt that my heart was wholly and forever yours ! Oh, my adored, my great Kaunitz, say that you love me, and at your feet I throw all the lesser Kaunitzes in token of my fealty !" j , . . x t:- -i. The signora would have flung her arms around him, but Kaunitz with a commanding gesture waved her ofE. 124 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. " Very well done, Olympia, " said he, nodding his head. " You are as accomplished as you are beautiful ; and well I understand how it is that you infatuate by your charms all manner of little Kaunitzes. But now listen to Kaunitz the great. I not only allow, but order you to continue your intrigue with Count PalfiEy. Take every thing he offers ; wring his purse dry ; and the sooner you ruin him the better. " "That means that I importune you with my love. Farewell, prince, and may you never repent of your cruelty to poor Olympia. " "Stay," said Kaunitz, coolly. "I have not done with you. Continue your amours with the Hungarian, and love him as much as you choose, provided — " "Provided?" echoed the singer anxiously, as Kaunitz paused. " Provided you afEect before the world to be still my mistress. " " Oh, my beloved prince, " cried Foliazzi, " you will not cast me off !" and in spite of his disinclination she folded Kaunitz to her heart. The prince struggled to get free. "You have disarranged my whole dress," said he, peevishly. "On account of your folly I shall have to make my toilet again. Hear me, and let me alone. I said that you would affect to be my mistress. To this end you will drive as usual to the side-door by which you have been accustomed to enter the palace, and while your carriage stands there for one hour, you shall be treated to a costly breakfast in my little boudoir every morning. " "By your side, my own prince?" " By yourself, my own Olympia. I have not time to devote an hour to you every day. Your carriage shall stand at my door in the morning. Every evening mine will be for an hour before yours, and while it remains there I forbid you to be at home to any one whatsoever. " " I shall think of nothing but you until that hour, " said the signora, fondly. " Vraiment, you are very presuming to suppose that I shall trouble myself to come in the carriage, " replied Kaunitz, contemptuously. "It is enough that the coach being there, the world will suppose that I am there also. A man of fashion must have the name of possessing a mistress ; but a statesman cannot waste his valuable time on women. You are my mistress, ostensibly, and therefore I give you a year's salary of four thousand guilders." "You are an angel — a god!" cried La Foliazzi, this time with genuine rapture. " You come upon one like Jupiter, in a shower of gold." " Yes, but I have no wish to fall into the embraces of my Danse. Now, hear my last words. If you ever dare let it transpire that you are not really my misti-ess, I shall punish you severely. I will not only stop your salary, but I will cite you before the committee of morals, and you shall be forced into a marriage with somebody." The singer shuddered and drew back. " Let me go at once into my boudoir. Is my breakfast ready ?" "No — your morning visits there begin to-morrow. Now go home to Count Palffy, and do not forget our contract. " "I shall not forget it, prince," replied the signora, smiling. "I await your coach this evening. You may kiss me if you choose. " PRINCE KAUNITZ AND EITTER GLUCK. 125 t She bent her head to his and held out her delicate cheek, fresh as a rose. "Simpleton," said he, slightly tapping her beautiful mouth,' " do you suppose that the great Kaunitz would kiss any lips but those which, like the sensitive mimosa, shrink from the touch of man ! Go away. Count PaUEy will feel honored to reap the kisses I have left." He gave her his hand, and looked after her, as with light and graceful carriage she left the room. " She is surpassingly beautiful, " said Kaunitz to himself. " Every one envies me ; but each one thinks it quite a matter of course that the loveliest woman in Vienna should be glad to be my mistress. Ah ! two o'clock. My guests await me. But before I go I must bring down the Countess Clary from the airy heaven which she has built for herself. " He rang, and a page appeared ; for from the time he became a prince, Kaunitz intooduced four pages in liis household, and kept open table daily for twelve persons. " Tell the Countess Clary, " said he, " that in a few moments I will conduct her to the dining-room. Then await me in my puder- kammer. " CHAPTER XXIX. PRINCE KAUNITZ AND EITTER GLUCK. Prince Kaunitz had finished his promenade in the powder- room, and having ascertained by means of his mirror that his peruke was in order, he betook himself to the apartments of the Countess Clary, to conduct her to table. The young countess, Kaunitz's niece, and a widow scarcely thirty years of age, flew to greet her uncle, radiant with smiles and happiness. "What an unexpected honor you confer upon me, my dear uncle!" said she, with her sweet low voice. "Coming yourself to conduct me to the table! How I thank you for preparing me a triumph which every woman in Vienna will envy me. " " I came with no intention whatever of preparing you a triumph or a pleasure. I came solely because I wish to have a few words with you before we go to dinner. " " I am all ears, your highness, " said the countess, smiling. Kaunitz looked at his young and lovely niece with uncommon scrutiny. " You have been crying, " said he, after a pause. "No, indeed," said she, blushing. " Do you suppose that you can deceive me? I repeat it, you have been crying. Will you presume to contradict me?" " No, dear uncle, I will not. " " And wherefore ? No prevarication ; I must know. ' The young countess raised her soft blue eyes to the face of the haughty prince. "I will tell the truth," said she, again blushing. " I was crying because La Foliazzi was so long with you to-day. "Jealous, too!" said Kaunitz, with a sneer. "And pray, who evergavet/OMtherightof being jealous of me?" The countess said nothing, but her eyes filled with tears. 126 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. " Allow me to discuss this matter with you. I came for this purpose. Our relations must be distinctly understood, if they are to last. You must have the goodness to remember their origin. When you were left a widow you turned to me, as your nearest rela- tive, for assistance. You were unprotected, and your husband had left you nothing. I gave you my protection, not because I was in any way pleased with you, but because you were my sister's child. I invited you hither to do the honors of my house, to give orders to the cooks and steward, to overlook my household arrangements, and to receive my guests in a manner worthy of their host. To insure you the appearance and consideration due to you as my niece and as the lady of my house, I gave you a remuneration of two thousand guilders a year. Were not these my terms?" " Yes, your highness, they were. They filled me with gratitude and joy ; and never will I forget your kindness. " "It seems, however, that you do forget it, " replied the heartless un- cle. " How does it happen that you take the liberty of being unhappy because La Foliazzi is in my room? What business is it of yours, whom I receive or entertain? Have I ever given you the slightest hope that from my niece I would ever raise you to the eminence of being my wife?" "Never, never, dear uncle," said the countess, scarlet with shame. " You have never been otherwise to me than my generous benefactor. " " Then oblige me by silencing the absurd rumors that may have led you into the delusion of supposing that I intended to make of you a princess. I wish you to know that I have no idea of marrying again ; and if ever I should form another matrimonial alliance, it will either be with an imperial or a royal princess. WiU you be so good as to remember this, and to act accordingly?" " Certainly, " replied the countess, her eyes filling with tears. " I assure your highness that I have never been so presuming as to regard you otherwise than as my kinsman and guardian. My feelings of admiration for you are indeed enthusiastic ; but I have never felt any thing toward you but the attachment of a daughter." " Pray do not trouble yourself to feel any thing at all on my account, " said Kaunitz, ill-humoredly. " I am not under the neces- sity of playing the part of a tender father toward you ; therefore, dry up the tears you took the trouble to shed on La Foliazzi's account. But enough of this folly. I hope that we understand each other, and that I will not have to repeat this conversation. Be so good as to take my arm. We will go forward to meet our guests. " The young countess took the arm of the prince, and they entered the drawing-room. The guests had long been assembled there, but it never occurred to Kaunitz to make any apology for his late ap- pearance. Nevertheless, his guests were all noble ; some of them representatives of princely houses or powerful kingdoms. Kaunitz, however, was not only the all-powerful minister of Maria Theresa ; it was well known that his slender, diamond-studded fingers directed the policy of all Europe. No one in that room had the courage to resent his rudeness. All seemed to feel honored as he walked haughtily forward with a slight inclination of his head to the many, and a condescending smile to the few whom it pleased him to distinguish by his notice.* * Wraxall, "Memoirs," vol. i., page 380. PRINCE KAUNITZ AND BITTER GLUCK. 127 Prince Kaunitz did not choose to perceive that several distin- guished ambassadors, as well as a German prince, himself a reign- ing sovereign, were present as his guests. He passed them all by. to accost a small, graceful man who, seated in a recess, had received no further attention from the high-born company than a condescend- ing nod. Kaunitz gave him his hand, and vyelcomed him audibly. The honored guest was Noverre, the inventor of the ballet as it is performed to-day on the stage. Noverre blushed with pleasure at the reception given him, while the other guests scarcely concealed their chagrin. Just then the folding-doors were thrown wide open, and the steward announced in a loud voice that the table of his lord the prince was served. The company arose, and the ladies looked to see which of them was to have the honor of being conducted to the table by the host. Kaunitz feigned neither to see nor to hear. He continued his conversation with Noverre, and when he had quite done, he sauntered carelessly up to his other guests. Suddenly he paused, and his eyes wandered from one to another with a search- ing glance. "Good Heaven!" exclaimed he, "of what a rudenesswe were about to be guilty. I had invited Ritter Gluck to meet us to-day, and he has not yet arrived. It shall not be said of me that I was ever wanting in respect to genius as transcendent as his. I must beg of my distinguished guests to await his arrival before going to dinner. " * Hereupon he resumed his conversation with Noverre. Th6 other guests were indignant, for they all felt the insult. The nobles disapproved of the fashion, which had been introduced by Kaunitz, of mingling artists and savans of no birth with the aristocracy of Vienna; aaid the ambassadors felt it as a personal injury that Kaunitz, who yesterday had refused to wait for them, to-day called upon them to wait for a musician. Kaunitz pretended not to see the displeasure which, nevertheless, his guests were at no great pains to conceal, and he went on talking in an animated strain with Noven-e. The poor dancer, meanwhile, gave short and embarrassed answers. He had remarked the discon- tent of the company, and the prince's over-politeness oppressed him, the more so as he perceived one of the lords gradually approaching, with the intention of addressing the prince. With the deepest respect the dancer attempted to withdraw, but the merciless Kaunitz caught him by one of the buttons of his velvet coat, and held him fast. " Do not stir, " said the prince. " I see the duke quite as well as you do, but he is a liar and a braggart— I dislike him, and he shall not speak with me. Tell me something about the new ballet that you are arranging for the emperor's festival. I hear that Gluck has composed the music. But hush ! Here comes the maestro. " Kaunitz walked rapidly forward and met Gluck in the middle of the room. They greeted one another cordially, but proudly— as two princes might have done. Around them stood the other guests, frowning to see these two men, both so proud, so conscious of great- ness, scarcely seeming aware that others besides themselves were E resent. Gliick was in full court-dress ; at his side a sword ; on his reast the brilliant order of the pope. With unembarrassed courtesy * Swinburne, vol. 1., page 80. 128 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. he received the greeting of the prince, and made no apology for his tardy appearance. "Thank Heaven, you have come at last !" exclaimed Kaunitz, in an audible voice. "I was afraid that the gods, angels, and spirits who are the daily associates of the great maestro would deprive us poor mortals of the honor of dining with the favorite of the Muses and the Graces. " " The gods, the Muses, and the Graces are the associates of Prince Kaunitz, " returned Gluck. " If they are not to be found in their temples, we may be sure that they have taken refuge here. " Kaunitz, who never vouchsafed a civil word in return for com- pliments, bowed his head, and with a gratified smile turned to his assembled guests. " Ladies and gentlemen, '' said he, " let us sit down to dinner. " But the company waited for the signal to rise which would be given when the host offered his arm to the lady whom he compli- mented by taking her in to dinner. The prince looked around, and his eyes rested again on Gluck. "I beg of the Eitter Gluck," said he, graciously, "the honor of conducting him to the table. " And with a courteous bow he offered his arm. " Favorite of the Muses, come with me, I am too true a worshipper of your nine lovely mistresses, to resign you to any one else. " Gluck, with a smile appreciative of the honor conferred upon him, took the arm of the prince, and was led into the dining- room. Behind them came the other guests. All wore discontented faces ; for this time the slight had been offered not only to dukes and am- bassadors, but to the ladies themselves, who could not help feeling bitterly this utter disregard of all etiquette and good-breeding. On the day after the dinner Kaunitz started for Innspruck to superintend the festivities preparing for the marriage of the Arch- duke Leopold. Count Durazzo, the director of the theatre, had pre- ceded the prince by a week. Noverre, with his ballet-dancers, was to follow. The great opera of " Orpheus and Eurydice, " whose fame was now European, was being rehearsed at Innspruck, for repre- sentation on the first night of the festival. Although Florian Gassman was a leader of acknowledged skill, Gluck, at the request of the emperor, had gone to Innspruck to direct and oversee the rehearsals. The furies had just concluded their chorus, and Gluck had given the signal for dismissal, when Prince Kaunitz entered the theatre, and came forward, offering his hand to the maestro. " Well, maestro, " said he, " are you satisfied with your artistes ? Are we to have a great musical treat to-morrow?" Gluck shrugged his shoulders. " My singers are not the angels who taught me this music, but for mortals they sing well. I scarcely think that Donna Maria Louisa has ever heard any thing compara- ble to the music which is to welcome her to Innspruck, " " I am glad to hear it, " said Kaunitz, with his usual composure, although he was inwardly annoyed at Gluck 's complacency. "But as I promised the empress to see and hear every thing myself, I must hear and judge of your opera also. Be so good as to have it repeated. " Gluck looked at the prince in amazement. AN UNFORTUNATE MEETING. ' 139 " What, " cried he, " your highness wishes them to go through the whole opera without an audience?" Prince Kaunitz raised his lofty head in displeasure, and said : "Ritter Gluck, quality has always heen esteemed before quantity. I alone am an audience. Let the opera begin, the audience is here. " * Gluck did not answer immediately. He frowned and looked down. Suddenly he raised his head, and his face wore its usual expression of energy and power. " I will gi-atify your highness. I myself would like to hear the opera without participating in it. Ladies and gentlemen of the coulisses, be so kind as to return ! Gentlemen of the orchestra, re- sume your instruments ! Gassman, have the goodness to lead. Do your best. Let us have your highest interpretation of art — for you have an audience such as you may never have again. Prince Kaunitz and Ritter Gluck are your listeners 1" CHAPTER XXX. AN UNFOETUNATE MEETING. Festival followed festival. The streets of the beautiful capital of Tyrol were gay with the multitudes who thronged to the marriage of the empress's second son. It was the second day after the wedding. On the first evening the opera of "Orpheus and Eurydice " had been triumphantly repre- sented JDefore the ilite of the city. A second representation had been called for by the delighted audience, although at the imperial palace a magnificent mask ball was to be given, for which two thou- sand invitations had been issued. It was a splendid confusion of lights, jewels, velvet, satins, and flowers. All the nations of the world had met in that imperial ballroom ; not only mortals, but fairies, sylphides, and heathen gods and goddesses. It was a be- wildering scene, that crowd of fantastic revellers, whose faces were every one hidden by velvet masks, through which dark eyes glit- tered, like stars upon the blackness of the night. The imperial family alone appeared without masks. Maria Theresa, in a dress of blue velvet, studded with golden embroidery, her fair white forehead encircled by a coronet of diamonds and sapphires, walked among her guests with enchanting smiles and gracious words. She leaned upon the arm of the King of Rome, who, looking more cheerful than usual, chatted gayly with his mother or with the crowd around them. Near them were the Grand Duke Leopold and his bride, so absorbed in one another that it was easy to see that they at least were happy in their affections. Be- hind them flocked the young archduchesses, who were enjoying the ball to the utmost. Whenever the empress approached a group of her guests, they stood in respectful silence while she and her hand- some family passed by ; but as soon as she had left them, their admiration burst forth in every imaginable form of words. The empress, who overheard these murmured plaudits, smiled proudly upon her young daughters, who, even if they had been no arch- duchesses, would still have been the handsomest girls m Austria. ♦ The prince's own words. Swinburne, vol. i., page 863. 130 JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT. While the empress, in the full splendor of her rank and beauty, was representing the sovereign of Austi-ia, the emperor, mingling with the guests, was taking the liberty of amusing himself as ordinary mortals love to do at a masked ball. On his arm hung a mask of most graceful figure, but so completely was she disguised that nothing could be ascertained with regard to her name or rank. Some whispered that it was the emperor's new favorite, the Countess of Auersberg. As the pair went by, the emperor overheard the conjectures of the crowd, and he turned with a smile to the lady who accompanied him. " Do not fear, " said he ; " there is no danger of your being recog- nized. You are mistaken for another lady. I promised you that you should meet Joseph here, and I will keep my promise. Let us try to make our way through the crowd, that we may join him as soon as possible ; for I feel oppressed this evening, I know not why. " "Oh, then, your majesty, let me go back into the anteroom," said the veiled lady. " I begin to feel all the rashness of my under- taking, and although it has the sanction of your majesty and the empress, I feel like a criminal, every moment dreading discovery. Let us go back. " " No, no, " replied the emperor, " let us remain until the inter- view with Joseph is over. I shall feel no better in the anteroom than here. I never shall be well until I leave this beautiful, fearful Tyrol. Its mountains weigh heavily upon my head and my breast. But let us sit down awhile. I love to listen to the people's talk, when the court is not by. " "But while your majesty is present the court is here," said the lady. "Not so, my dear," whispered the emperor; "the empress and my children are the court, I am but a private nobleman. Ah, there they come ! See how beautiful and stately the empress looks ! Who would suppose that this grown-up family were her children ! — But she, she signs us to approach. Take courage, and await me here. " So saying, the emperor hastened toward his wife, who received him with a loving smile of welcome. "Now, my son," said she, withdrawing her arm from Joseph, "I give you your freedom. I advise you to mix among the masks, and to go in search of adventures. We have done enough for ceremony, I think we may now enjoy ourselves a little like the rest of man- kind. If we were younger, Franzel, we, too, would mix with yon- der crowd, and dance awhile. But I suppose we must leave that to our children, and betake ourselves to the card-table or to the opera- house. " " If your majesty leaves me the choice, " said the emperor, " I vote for the opera. " The empress took his arm, while she turned to the Countess Lerchenfeld, the governess of the archduchesses. " To the dancing- room, countess, " said she ; " the archduchesses, may dance, but no masks must enter the room. Now, my dear husband, follow me. Adieu, Joseph ! To-morrow I expect to hear what fortune has be- fallen you to-night. " "Your majesty forgets that Fortune is a woman," returned Joseph, smiling, " and you know that I have no luck with women. " AN UNFORTUNATE MEETING. 131 "Or you will not have it, " said the empress, laughing, and leav- ing her son to his thoughts, r . 6 6. " Or you will not have it, " repeated a soft voice near, and Joseph turning, saw an elegant-looking woman, veiled and masked • J