For Sceptre and Crown Volume I Part 10

The diplomatists all grew uneasy, and broke off with more or less politeness the indifferent conversations in which they were engaged.

At last the minister entered the second drawing-room alone. The Duke de Gramont immediately approached him with easy grace, and was warmly welcomed.

The two personages became the centre of general observation, but no one ventured near to disturb their earnest conversation, which lasted about ten minutes.

When Count Mensdorff turned away from the duke he found himself just opposite Herr von Werther.

He spoke to him with perfect politeness, and immediately all the anxious side glances were employed in watching their interview.

It lasted only two minutes.

Count Mensdorff turned from the Prussian amba.s.sador with a low bow, and walked hastily through the room to General von Knesebeck, took his arm, led him aside, and commenced a most cordial and animated conversation.

The Duke de Gramont had again joined the other guests. Von Meysenbug and von Biegeleben had appeared, and were surrounded by diplomatists of the second rank.

In about a quarter of an hour Baron Werther was surrounded by an icy atmosphere; every attempt he made at conversation fell to the ground, after the few phrases which politeness demanded; and it required all his talent to conceal his isolation, until the happy moment came which permitted him to retreat.

At last the time of departure arrived, and the salons of the palace grew empty.

Lieutenant von Stielow went down the broad steps and found his cab in the appointed place.

He gave the coachman an address, got in, and wrapped himself in his white cloak.

"What did she mean about forgetting Vienna,--can she know? Well, all Vienna knows it; I make no secret of my life. If _she_ wished it, I would cast aside every folly, but does she wish it?"

He grew very thoughtful.

"She will wish it," he cried, "and then my life shall follow its true star,--away with every erring meteor; but how charming they are!" he whispered to himself.

The carriage stopped before a large house in the Ringe.

Herr von Stielow dismissed the coachman, nodded to the porter as if he knew him well, and ascended a couple of steps. A pretty lady's-maid opened the gla.s.s door of the entrance hall.

The young officer threw off his mantle, and entered a room elegantly furnished with dark blue satin; before the fire-place stood a tea-table lighted by a large Carcel lamp.

Upon a _chaise longue_, on one side of the fire-place, reposed the slender form of a young and beautiful woman clothed in white.

Her pale features of the n.o.blest Grecian type were partly illumined by the lamp, partly by the red glow of the fire, and her eyes, of deeper black than even the smooth ebon tresses of her hair, now shone in soft, sweet reverie, now sparkled with quick, brilliant rays.

Her slender white arms half concealed by her large open sleeves, lay in her lap, and her slight fingers played with the clasp of her girdle.

Her whole appearance was of wonderful beauty, with a demoniacal look heightened by the changing lights which played over her face and the whole of her figure.

As the young man entered, she sprang up, and her eyes flashed; it were hard to say whether with love, pride, or triumph.

Such must have been Cleopatra, when Antony approached her.

She flew to meet him, and threw her arms around him, whilst her glowing looks were fixed upon his eyes.

"At last you come, sweet friend!" she whispered; "I have waited long!"

When the young man entered the room there had been a certain coldness on his face, and now there was more politeness than tenderness in the movement with which he placed his arm around her shoulder.

Did she feel this?

Her eyes dilated and became more glowing, her arms were pressed closer round his neck, and through her slender form pa.s.sed a slight s.h.i.+ver.

A magnetic stream seemed to pa.s.s from her to her lover. He led her gently to her seat, knelt down before her, and kissed her left hand as it hung by her side, whilst with the right she stroked the hair upon his brow.

The star was veiled with clouds, the baleful meteor glowed in vivid brightness.

CHAPTER IV.

NAPOLEON.

The crowd flowing along the Quai Voltaire in Paris, on the sh.o.r.es of the Seine, changed its varied pictures so quickly that it resembled a kaleidoscope.

One bright morning about ten o'clock, a man was to be seen pursuing his way with hasty steps from the Rue Bonaparte across the bridge towards the Tuileries.

Although he was scarcely of the middle height, and rather shabby in dress, yet he caused many pa.s.sengers to look at him for a moment--certainly only for a moment, but a Parisian seldom looks at anything much longer--from the unusual swiftness of his step, and the thoughtfulness with which he hastened on without looking to right or left, pursuing his way in a manner which proved him to be usually a dweller in large capitals.

The man thus hurrying to the royal and imperial palace was even meanly clad; from his dress, and his bent form, he might have been supposed a master in some elementary school, or a lawyer's clerk; but the changing expression of his sharply-cut features, his red and white northern complexion, and the penetrating glances of his light grey eyes, gave to his appearance a character which belied the impression first formed.

The man gained the other side of the Seine and entered the courtyard leading to the portal of the Tuileries.

He showed the sentry a paper, and on glancing at it the _voltigeur de la garde_ stepped back, and with a short "_Bien, Monsieur_," admitted him into that inner court of the imperial residence, where no profane foot was permitted to enter, and into which only the court equipages and the carriages of the grandees of the empire were allowed to drive.

Without slackening his pace the little man hastened on. He pa.s.sed by the great imperial entrance--before which, under a wide canopy, supported by golden lances, stood a group of officers of the household, and _laquais de palais_, conversing in whispers--to a smaller one, where he entered with the a.s.surance of one who well knows the locality.

He went up a step and into an anteroom, where in a large arm-chair sat a _huissier de palais_, performing his duty with quiet dignity.

"M. Pietri?" said the visitor.

"M. Pietri is in his cabinet," replied the huissier, half raising himself from his chair.

"Ask if he will receive M. Hansen, he has an appointment with me."

The huissier rose at once and entered the cabinet of the emperor's private secretary; after a moment he opened the door, saying, in a low tone, "Enter, sir!"

The former Danish advocate, that unwearied agitator on behalf of the rights of Denmark, entered the cabinet of Napoleon III.'s private secretary.

This cabinet was a large, light room, full of tables and repositories for papers, deeds, and maps. At the farther end was a spiral staircase which led into the apartment above, the entrance to which was closed by the silken folds of a dark _portiere_.

Pietri sat before a large writing-table. He was still a young man, and slightly made. His rather long face had a bright, peaceful, spiritual expression, which gave a charm to any ordinary employment undertaken by him.