Frederick the Great and His Family [145]
and a deep red suffused her countenance. Even Father Guarini showed by the quivering of his lip and his sudden paleness, that the conversation was now taking an agitating turn.
"What do you know of my letters to Nadasky?" said the queen, breathlessly. "Who says I have written to him?"
"Your own hand, gracious queen," answered the general. "While the king, my noble sovereign, was in Bernstadt, he was told that General Nadasky was at Ostriz, and sent General von Werner after him. Nadasky fled, but his baggage was captured, and amongst his letters this one from your majesty was discovered."
And he held up the letter in question before the queen, to convince her of its authenticity.
Maria Josephine endeavored to tear it from him, but the general was too quick for her.
"By command of my master, this letter is to be returned to you, but upon one condition."
"Well, what is it?" said the queen, faintly.
"I am to read to your majesty a few sentences from it, selected by the King of Prussia himself."
"And all my letters shall then be returned to me?"
"All, your majesty."
"You can read," said the queen, seating herself.
General Fink approached the window by which he had been standing before, and looked out for a few moments. Some one, perhaps, had passed with whom he was acquainted, for he bowed several times and raised his hand as if he were beckoning. After this intermission, at which the queen and her confessor had looked in amazement, he opened the letter and commenced to read.
It was a demand from Queen Maria Josephine to the Austrian general to do all in his power to ruin their common enemy. "If we are energetic," continued the general, reading in a loud voice, "it will soon be done. At the battle of Collin, God laid his mark upon Frederick; Prussia will have no more victories; her arrogant ruler has sung his last Te Deum."
At this moment the bells of the nearest church commenced their solemn chimes, and from the fort behind the castle the thunder of cannon was heard. The queen rose from her seat and rushed to the window.
"What is the meaning of this?" said she, breathlessly. "Why these bells? Why this cannon? What--"
The renewed thunder of cannon drowned her words. She threw open the window, and now all the church bells were joined in one harmonious chant. From beneath the queen's windows there arose a slow, solemn hymn, and as if borne aloft by invisible spirits, the words "Te Deum laudamus" were heard by the queen. Her eyes sparkled. "For whom is this Te Deum?" said she, breathlessly.
"It is for my master," said General Fink, solemnly--"for the King of Prussia, who at Rossbach, with twenty thousand men, has gained a victory over sixty thousand French soldiers."
A cry of rage, and Maria Josephine fell fainting to the floor.
CHAPTER XII.
CAMP SCENE
It was a cold winter day, and in the Prussian camp at Newmark every one was occupied making fires.
"Let us get a great deal of wood," said a sprightly-looking, slender young soldier, to his comrades; "our limbs must not be stiff to-day. I think to-morrow all will go off bravely, and we will prepare a strong soup for the Austrians."
"And instead of the noodles, we will send them cannon-balls," said a comrade, standing near him. "But see here, brother, as we are not going to fight this evening, I think we should make use of the time and cook a soup for ourselves. When we have wood enough for a good fire, we will set the kettle over it, and the best of pastimes will be ready. Shall we do it, comrades? Every man a groschen, and Charles Henry Buschman to cook the noodles."
"Yet, Buschman must cook the noodles; no one understands it so well as he. Charles Henry Buschman! Where hides the fellow? He is generally sticking to Fritz Kober, and they are chatting together as if they were lovers. Buschman! Charles Henry Buschman! Where are you?"
"Here I am!" cried a bright, fresh voice, and a slender youth, belonging to Prince Henry's regiment, stepped forward and joined them. "Who calls me?--what do you want?"
"We
"What do you know of my letters to Nadasky?" said the queen, breathlessly. "Who says I have written to him?"
"Your own hand, gracious queen," answered the general. "While the king, my noble sovereign, was in Bernstadt, he was told that General Nadasky was at Ostriz, and sent General von Werner after him. Nadasky fled, but his baggage was captured, and amongst his letters this one from your majesty was discovered."
And he held up the letter in question before the queen, to convince her of its authenticity.
Maria Josephine endeavored to tear it from him, but the general was too quick for her.
"By command of my master, this letter is to be returned to you, but upon one condition."
"Well, what is it?" said the queen, faintly.
"I am to read to your majesty a few sentences from it, selected by the King of Prussia himself."
"And all my letters shall then be returned to me?"
"All, your majesty."
"You can read," said the queen, seating herself.
General Fink approached the window by which he had been standing before, and looked out for a few moments. Some one, perhaps, had passed with whom he was acquainted, for he bowed several times and raised his hand as if he were beckoning. After this intermission, at which the queen and her confessor had looked in amazement, he opened the letter and commenced to read.
It was a demand from Queen Maria Josephine to the Austrian general to do all in his power to ruin their common enemy. "If we are energetic," continued the general, reading in a loud voice, "it will soon be done. At the battle of Collin, God laid his mark upon Frederick; Prussia will have no more victories; her arrogant ruler has sung his last Te Deum."
At this moment the bells of the nearest church commenced their solemn chimes, and from the fort behind the castle the thunder of cannon was heard. The queen rose from her seat and rushed to the window.
"What is the meaning of this?" said she, breathlessly. "Why these bells? Why this cannon? What--"
The renewed thunder of cannon drowned her words. She threw open the window, and now all the church bells were joined in one harmonious chant. From beneath the queen's windows there arose a slow, solemn hymn, and as if borne aloft by invisible spirits, the words "Te Deum laudamus" were heard by the queen. Her eyes sparkled. "For whom is this Te Deum?" said she, breathlessly.
"It is for my master," said General Fink, solemnly--"for the King of Prussia, who at Rossbach, with twenty thousand men, has gained a victory over sixty thousand French soldiers."
A cry of rage, and Maria Josephine fell fainting to the floor.
CHAPTER XII.
CAMP SCENE
It was a cold winter day, and in the Prussian camp at Newmark every one was occupied making fires.
"Let us get a great deal of wood," said a sprightly-looking, slender young soldier, to his comrades; "our limbs must not be stiff to-day. I think to-morrow all will go off bravely, and we will prepare a strong soup for the Austrians."
"And instead of the noodles, we will send them cannon-balls," said a comrade, standing near him. "But see here, brother, as we are not going to fight this evening, I think we should make use of the time and cook a soup for ourselves. When we have wood enough for a good fire, we will set the kettle over it, and the best of pastimes will be ready. Shall we do it, comrades? Every man a groschen, and Charles Henry Buschman to cook the noodles."
"Yet, Buschman must cook the noodles; no one understands it so well as he. Charles Henry Buschman! Where hides the fellow? He is generally sticking to Fritz Kober, and they are chatting together as if they were lovers. Buschman! Charles Henry Buschman! Where are you?"
"Here I am!" cried a bright, fresh voice, and a slender youth, belonging to Prince Henry's regiment, stepped forward and joined them. "Who calls me?--what do you want?"
"We