Frederick the Great and His Family [16]
misled for a moment by the quiet and virtuous looks of the secretary of legation.
"In the mean while you will not prevent those for whom you are about to do a great service from showing their gratitude," said Baron Waltz. "Every one has a right to give or to receive a present."
"Gentlemen," said Baron Weingarten, smilingly, "No one has spoken of a present, but of a payment, a bribery, and you can readily understand that this is insulting to a man of honor."
"Ah, he leaves open a door of escape," thought Zetto. "He is won, he can be bought.--You are right, baron," he said aloud, "and we are wrong to offer you now that which hereafter will be a debt of gratitude. We will speak no more of this, but of the danger that threatens the king. You alone can save him by warning him of his danger."
"You really believe, then, that Trenck has the intention of murdering the king?" said Weingarten.
"We will believe it," said Zetto, with an ambiguous smile.
"We must believe it!" cried Baron Waltz, emphatically. "We must either believe in his murderous intentions, or be ourselves regarded as traitors and robbers. You will think it natural that we prefer the first alternative, and as he resolved to ruin us, we will anticipate him, and set the trap into which he must fall."
"Why could you not lay your snares in Austria, gentlemen? Why could you not accuse him of intending to murder the empress?"
Zetto shrugged his shoulders. "That would not be credible, because Trenck has no motive for murdering Maria Theresa, while he might very well thirst to revenge himself upon Frederick. You know that the king and Trenck are personal enemies. Trenck has boasted of this enmity often and loud enough to be understood by the whole world, and I do not believe that this animosity has diminished. Enemies naturally desire to destroy each other. Trenck would succeed if we did not warn the king, and enable him to anticipate his enemy."
"How can this be done? Will the king really go to Konigsberg to be present at the Austrian festivities?"
"It has been spoken of."
"Well, Trenck now proposes to go to Dantzic, and he has boasted that he will enter Konigsberg at the same time with the King of Prussia, who will not dare to arrest him."
"We have made a bet with him of a hundred louis d'or on this boast," said Baron Waltz, "and for greater security we have put it in writing."
"Have you it with you?"
"Here it is."
The baron handed Weingarten a paper, which he seized hastily, unfolded, and read several times.
"This is indeed written in very ambiguous language, and calculated to ruin Trenck should it reach the hands of the king," said Baron Weingarten with a cruel smile.
Zetto returned this smile. "I wrote the document, and you will naturally understand that I measured the words very closely."
"Who copied the letter?" asked Weingarten. "Doubtlessly Baron Trenck was not magnanimous enough to do that."
"Baron Waltz is a great adept in imitating handwriting, and he happily possessed original letters of Trenck's," said Zetto, smilingly.
"You will find it most natural that I should try to win my bet," said Baron Waltz. "If Trenck is arrested before he goes to Konigsberg, I have won my bet, and will receive the hundred louis d'ors from the commissioners."
All three laughed.
"These commissioners will soon have to pay you ten thousand guilders," whispered Zetto. "Here is a bond. On the day that Trenck is a prisoner of the king of Prussia, this bond is due, and you will then find that the commissioners are not backward in paying." Zetto laid the document upon the table. "You will now have the kindness to receive our testimony, and, if you desire it, we will add our accusations, or you can mention that this can be done."
Weingarten did not answer; a repentant fear tormented his heart, and for a moment it appeared as if his good and evil genius were struggling for his soul.
"This involves probably the life of a man," he said, softly; "it is a terrible accusation that I must pronounce: if not condemned to death,
"In the mean while you will not prevent those for whom you are about to do a great service from showing their gratitude," said Baron Waltz. "Every one has a right to give or to receive a present."
"Gentlemen," said Baron Weingarten, smilingly, "No one has spoken of a present, but of a payment, a bribery, and you can readily understand that this is insulting to a man of honor."
"Ah, he leaves open a door of escape," thought Zetto. "He is won, he can be bought.--You are right, baron," he said aloud, "and we are wrong to offer you now that which hereafter will be a debt of gratitude. We will speak no more of this, but of the danger that threatens the king. You alone can save him by warning him of his danger."
"You really believe, then, that Trenck has the intention of murdering the king?" said Weingarten.
"We will believe it," said Zetto, with an ambiguous smile.
"We must believe it!" cried Baron Waltz, emphatically. "We must either believe in his murderous intentions, or be ourselves regarded as traitors and robbers. You will think it natural that we prefer the first alternative, and as he resolved to ruin us, we will anticipate him, and set the trap into which he must fall."
"Why could you not lay your snares in Austria, gentlemen? Why could you not accuse him of intending to murder the empress?"
Zetto shrugged his shoulders. "That would not be credible, because Trenck has no motive for murdering Maria Theresa, while he might very well thirst to revenge himself upon Frederick. You know that the king and Trenck are personal enemies. Trenck has boasted of this enmity often and loud enough to be understood by the whole world, and I do not believe that this animosity has diminished. Enemies naturally desire to destroy each other. Trenck would succeed if we did not warn the king, and enable him to anticipate his enemy."
"How can this be done? Will the king really go to Konigsberg to be present at the Austrian festivities?"
"It has been spoken of."
"Well, Trenck now proposes to go to Dantzic, and he has boasted that he will enter Konigsberg at the same time with the King of Prussia, who will not dare to arrest him."
"We have made a bet with him of a hundred louis d'or on this boast," said Baron Waltz, "and for greater security we have put it in writing."
"Have you it with you?"
"Here it is."
The baron handed Weingarten a paper, which he seized hastily, unfolded, and read several times.
"This is indeed written in very ambiguous language, and calculated to ruin Trenck should it reach the hands of the king," said Baron Weingarten with a cruel smile.
Zetto returned this smile. "I wrote the document, and you will naturally understand that I measured the words very closely."
"Who copied the letter?" asked Weingarten. "Doubtlessly Baron Trenck was not magnanimous enough to do that."
"Baron Waltz is a great adept in imitating handwriting, and he happily possessed original letters of Trenck's," said Zetto, smilingly.
"You will find it most natural that I should try to win my bet," said Baron Waltz. "If Trenck is arrested before he goes to Konigsberg, I have won my bet, and will receive the hundred louis d'ors from the commissioners."
All three laughed.
"These commissioners will soon have to pay you ten thousand guilders," whispered Zetto. "Here is a bond. On the day that Trenck is a prisoner of the king of Prussia, this bond is due, and you will then find that the commissioners are not backward in paying." Zetto laid the document upon the table. "You will now have the kindness to receive our testimony, and, if you desire it, we will add our accusations, or you can mention that this can be done."
Weingarten did not answer; a repentant fear tormented his heart, and for a moment it appeared as if his good and evil genius were struggling for his soul.
"This involves probably the life of a man," he said, softly; "it is a terrible accusation that I must pronounce: if not condemned to death,