For Sceptre and Crown Volume I Part 44

Herr Meding seated himself opposite to the king, opened his folded paper, and read the draft.

The king leant back in his chair, and covered his face with his hands, as was his custom when he wished to listen attentively.

The queen and Princess Marie wept quietly, Princess Frederika listened to every word with earnest attention and flas.h.i.+ng eyes. The crown prince played with his terrier.

Meding read slowly and distinctly, pausing at every fresh point in the draft.

It set forth in very quiet, measured terms, the reasons wherefore the king could not accept an alliance with Prussia on the foundation of the project of reform, repeated a decided promise of neutrality, and added the king's determination never to fight with any German power, unless his kingdom was invaded, and he found himself compelled to defend it.

It concluded with the hope that the friendly relations between Hanover and Prussia might remain undisturbed.

The king listened to the end in silence. As Meding ceased he raised his head.

"You have expressed my intentions admirably," he said, "I desire to add nothing and to take nothing away. But ought not the words in which we decline the Prussian proposals to be even more sharp and plain, lest they should entertain the idea of my being brought round to join in that reform-project? That would not be worthy conduct nor honourable to Prussia."

"I believe, your majesty," replied Meding, "the answer leaves not the smallest doubt on this point. The quiet and conciliatory tone throughout your reply will, however, amply prove your majesty's great desire to preserve peace if possible."

"Yes! certainly," cried the queen with animation.

"If it be possible," added the king, as he drew a deep breath.

"I beg you, my dear Meding, to read the draught again. Forgive me for troubling you so much, but the matter is of sufficient importance to be read twice."

"Oh! I beg your majesty----" exclaimed Herr Meding. He again read the reply.

"It shall remain as it is," cried the king as he concluded: "I have nothing to alter. What do you say?" he continued, turning to the queen, "I beg you, and all of you, to give your opinion, for you are in the highest degree interested."

"It must be so!" said the queen in a voice choked with tears.

"And you, Ernest?" said the king, turning to the crown prince, "have you anything to suggest?"

"No!" said the crown prince with a sigh, as he lifted his little dog on to his knees and stroked its head.

"And you two?" asked the king.

"No!" replied Princess Frederika, as she proudly raised her head, and "No" sobbed her younger sister.

"Well, then, the thing is decided!" exclaimed the king quite cheerfully. "I have commanded the concentration of the army in Gottingen," he added, turning to Meding, "by my generals' advice, that they may march thence to the south. I shall start at two o'clock. I beg you, my dear Meding to drive to General Brandis and to Count Platen; request them to be ready for the journey, and tell them to meet me at the railway station at two tonight. I must ask you also to make your preparations and to accompany me; I shall need you. You will have but little time!" he added considerately.

"Oh! fully enough, your majesty," replied Meding.

"I believe," said the king to his son, "that you must yourself give the orders necessary to prevent any of your equipments being forgotten. And now, my dear Meding, give me the answer, that I may sign it."

Meding took a pen from the queen's writing-table, gave it to the king and placed his hand upon the white margin of the paper.

In firm bold characters the king wrote his initials, "G. R."

"Add to it," he said, "the exact hour, that we may know hereafter when I completed this decisive and important doc.u.ment."

Meding looked at his watch; it was twelve minutes past midnight. He added the exact date below the king's signature.

"I must now beg your majesty's permission to go," he said, "for time presses." He turned to the queen. "Allow me, your majesty, to offer my truest sympathy, and my most sincere hopes, that you may pa.s.s safely through the dark days before us. May G.o.d bless your majesty, and may He guide events to a happy issue."

The queen bent her head and covered her face with her handkerchief.

"Auf Wiedersehn!" cried the king, and with a low bow Meding withdrew.

In the ante-room he met a young man dressed in the uniform of the Garde du corps.

He was tall and slight, with merry, pleasing features and large clear eyes, it was Prince George of Solms Braunfels, the king's nephew. He held out his hand to Meding and cried:

"Well, is everything settled, and is war decided upon?"

"I am taking back the answer to the Prussian note!" said Meding gravely, looking at the folded paper in his hand.

The prince looked serious too for a moment.

"Do you know," he then said, "what you remind me of? Of Davison, Queen Elizabeth's secretary, carrying the death warrant!"

Meding gave a melancholy smile.

"Alas!" he said, "the sheet of paper in my hand is perhaps the death warrant of many a brave heart now beating joyfully; thank G.o.d I am not answerable for it, I have only to perform my duty, which I never felt to be so painful as now. We shall meet in Gottingen, prince," he said, taking leave with a hasty pressure of the hand, he then hurried down the stairs and threw himself into his carriage.

Just at the brightly lighted, gilded iron gate of the outer court he met a long row of carriages driving to the castle.

The magistrates and the princ.i.p.al burghers of the capital were coming to take leave of the king. As the long file of carriages emerged from the avenue, they looked so dark against the bright light that they resembled a long black funeral, and shuddering involuntarily at this idea Meding leant back in his carriage and drove towards Hanover.

In the meantime Count Platen sat in his cabinet. A small lamp shed its light over the writing table covered, with letters and papers, before which he sat, his head leaning on his hand.

"Is there really no escape?" he cried at last, as he rose and paced up and down the room; "can we not recover the fine position we held?"

He looked thoughtfully from the window out into the warm starlight night.

"The concentration of the army is good," he said, "it shows we are in earnest, and not inclined to give way without resistance: that the king should go, is also good--it makes negotiation easier. Well, I believe,"

he cried in a tone of relief, "they will bethink themselves in Berlin after firing off this alarm gun, and will be satisfied if we accept neutrality. But even if we are obliged--they cannot abandon us in Vienna--and if Austria conquers!" A happy smile pa.s.sed over his face, and flattering pictures of the future seemed unrolled before his mind.

The timepiece on his writing-table struck twelve.

"Prince Ysenburg!" announced the groom of the chambers.

"Now, at this hour?" cried Count Platen, starting back. And he hastened to meet the Prussian amba.s.sador, who had entered the room, and advanced slowly and gravely. "What good news do you bring at this late hour, dear prince?" he asked.

"Whether I can bring good news, I know not!" replied the prince, a small slight man, with regular features and a spare black moustache, as he fixed his black eyes with a sad and enquiring look upon Count Platen; "I must first beg for your answer to the note I delivered this morning, the reply to which I was to wait for until this evening. You see," he said drawing out his watch, "I have given my instructions the widest possible extension; it is now twelve o'clock--the day is ended."

"My dear prince," said Count Platen, "I gave the note to the king immediately, the reply is now with his majesty; I expect it back every moment, and I do not doubt we shall easily come to an understanding."

The prince shook his head slightly.

"Though the answer is with his majesty, yet you must know, and I _must_"--he laid a stress upon the word--"urgently beg you to impart its purport. Is the proposition accepted, are you authorized to conclude the proffered treaty?"