Frederick the Great and His Family [139]
"if he does not come to- day, all is lost--all!"
Loud voices in the antechamber interrupted her; she listened in breathless expectation. "It is he," she murmured, "it is Schonberg; the officer on guard forbids his entrance. What insults I endure! I am treated as a prisoner in my own castle; I am even denied the right of seeing my own servants."
She ceased, and listened again; the voices became louder and more violent. "He is, apparently, speaking so loudly to attract my attention," she said; "I will go to his relief." She crossed the chamber hastily, and opened the door leading into the anteroom. "What means this noise?" she said, angrily; "how dare you be guilty of such unseemly conduct?"
Silence followed this question. The two gentlemen, who had just exchanged such angry words, were dumb, approached the queen, and bowed profoundly.
"I beg your majesty's forgiveness," said the Prussian officer, "my commander ordered me this morning to admit no one until he had seen your highness himself."
"I wished to announce to your majesty," said Schonberg, "that I had returned from my estate, and desired the favor of being again received into your service; this gentleman refused to allow me to enter."
The queen turned upon the officer with an expression of contempt. "Am I a prisoner, sir, allowed to see no one but my jailer?"
"Your majesty favors me with a question I am unable to answer," said the officer; "I am a soldier; and must obey the command of those above me. I know not whether your majesty is a prisoner."
The queen reddened; she felt that, in the excitement of passion, she had forgotten her rank and dignity.
"It is true," she said, "it is not for you to answer this question. I must demand a reply from your king. You are but a machine, moved by foreign power. I think you will not dare to keep my servants from me;" and, without allowing the confused officer time to answer, she turned to the chamberlain, Baron von Schonberg. "I am delighted to receive you again; you shall resume your service immediately, as you desire it; follow me to my room, I have an important letter to dictate to you."
She stepped over the sill of the door, and gave the chamberlain a sign to follow her; as he approached the door, however, the officer stepped before him.
"Forgive me," he said, in a pleading tone; "I have strict orders to admit only those who usually surround the queen; do you understand, sir, to admit no one to her majesty this morning? I can make no exceptions."
"I belong to those who usually surround her majesty," said the chamberlain; "I have had an eight days' leave of absence; that cannot make an exception against me."
"Baron von Schonberg, did I not order you to resume your service, and to follow me?" said the queen; "why do you not enter?"
"Your majesty sees that I am prevented."
"Mercy, your highness, mercy," pleaded the officer, "I know I am seemingly wanting in reverence toward the holy person of the queen, but I cannot act otherwise." Maria Josephine looked proud and commanding; her eyes flashed angrily, and, with a loud voice, she exclaimed:
"I command you to allow my servant to enter! do you hear? command it as a sovereign!"
The officer stepped back.
"Go in, sir, I have not the courage to withstand this command."
For a moment the queen's pale face crimsoned with joy, but she suppressed her emotion immediately and motioned the chamberlain, with proud dignity, to follow.
Schonberg passed the officer, and entered the room.
"At last," sighed Maria Josephine, as the door closed behind him-- "at last this torture is at an end, and I breathe again. Speak, baron--your news!" Exhausted, she fell upon the sofa, and gazed breathlessly at the chamberlain.
"Before speaking, with your majesty's permission, I will see if we are entirely alone--if no one is listening."
He stepped softly around the room, and searched behind the curtains and furniture; then went to the door, and looked through the key- hole, to see if any one was without. He saw the officer sitting motionless,
Loud voices in the antechamber interrupted her; she listened in breathless expectation. "It is he," she murmured, "it is Schonberg; the officer on guard forbids his entrance. What insults I endure! I am treated as a prisoner in my own castle; I am even denied the right of seeing my own servants."
She ceased, and listened again; the voices became louder and more violent. "He is, apparently, speaking so loudly to attract my attention," she said; "I will go to his relief." She crossed the chamber hastily, and opened the door leading into the anteroom. "What means this noise?" she said, angrily; "how dare you be guilty of such unseemly conduct?"
Silence followed this question. The two gentlemen, who had just exchanged such angry words, were dumb, approached the queen, and bowed profoundly.
"I beg your majesty's forgiveness," said the Prussian officer, "my commander ordered me this morning to admit no one until he had seen your highness himself."
"I wished to announce to your majesty," said Schonberg, "that I had returned from my estate, and desired the favor of being again received into your service; this gentleman refused to allow me to enter."
The queen turned upon the officer with an expression of contempt. "Am I a prisoner, sir, allowed to see no one but my jailer?"
"Your majesty favors me with a question I am unable to answer," said the officer; "I am a soldier; and must obey the command of those above me. I know not whether your majesty is a prisoner."
The queen reddened; she felt that, in the excitement of passion, she had forgotten her rank and dignity.
"It is true," she said, "it is not for you to answer this question. I must demand a reply from your king. You are but a machine, moved by foreign power. I think you will not dare to keep my servants from me;" and, without allowing the confused officer time to answer, she turned to the chamberlain, Baron von Schonberg. "I am delighted to receive you again; you shall resume your service immediately, as you desire it; follow me to my room, I have an important letter to dictate to you."
She stepped over the sill of the door, and gave the chamberlain a sign to follow her; as he approached the door, however, the officer stepped before him.
"Forgive me," he said, in a pleading tone; "I have strict orders to admit only those who usually surround the queen; do you understand, sir, to admit no one to her majesty this morning? I can make no exceptions."
"I belong to those who usually surround her majesty," said the chamberlain; "I have had an eight days' leave of absence; that cannot make an exception against me."
"Baron von Schonberg, did I not order you to resume your service, and to follow me?" said the queen; "why do you not enter?"
"Your majesty sees that I am prevented."
"Mercy, your highness, mercy," pleaded the officer, "I know I am seemingly wanting in reverence toward the holy person of the queen, but I cannot act otherwise." Maria Josephine looked proud and commanding; her eyes flashed angrily, and, with a loud voice, she exclaimed:
"I command you to allow my servant to enter! do you hear? command it as a sovereign!"
The officer stepped back.
"Go in, sir, I have not the courage to withstand this command."
For a moment the queen's pale face crimsoned with joy, but she suppressed her emotion immediately and motioned the chamberlain, with proud dignity, to follow.
Schonberg passed the officer, and entered the room.
"At last," sighed Maria Josephine, as the door closed behind him-- "at last this torture is at an end, and I breathe again. Speak, baron--your news!" Exhausted, she fell upon the sofa, and gazed breathlessly at the chamberlain.
"Before speaking, with your majesty's permission, I will see if we are entirely alone--if no one is listening."
He stepped softly around the room, and searched behind the curtains and furniture; then went to the door, and looked through the key- hole, to see if any one was without. He saw the officer sitting motionless,