Frederick the Great and His Family [223]
He raised his glance to heaven and murmured:
"I swear to live so long as there is hope, so long as I am free! I swear only to think of death when my liberty is threatened!" Slowly his glance returned to earth, and then in a powerful voice, he cried: "Onward! onward! that has ever been Prussia's watch-word, and it shall remain so--Onward! We have a great object be fore us--we must use every effort to keep the Russians out of Berlin. The palladium of our happiness must not fall into the hands of our enemies. The Oder and the Spree must be ours--we must recover to- morrow what the enemy wrenched from us yesterday!"
"Onward! onward!" cried the army, and the words of the king bore courage and enthusiasm to all hearts.
Hope was awakened, and all were ready to follow the king; for however dark and threatening the horizon appeared, all had faith in the star of the king, and believed that it could never be extinguished.
BOOK V.
CHAPTER I.
THE TERESIANI AND THE PRUSSIANI.
At the splendid hotel of the "White Lion," situated on the Canale Grande, a gondola had just arrived. The porter sounded the great house-bell, and the host hastened immediately to greet the stranger, who, having left the gondola, was briskly mounting the small white marble steps that led to the beautiful and sumptuous vestibule of the hotel.
The stranger returned the host's profound and respectful salutation with a stiff military bow, and asked in forced and rather foreign Italian if he could obtain rooms.
Signer Montardo gazed at him with a doubtful and uncertain expression, and instead of answering his question, said:
"Signor, it appears to me that you are a foreigner?"
"Yes," said the stranger, smiling, "my Italian has betrayed me. I am a foreigner, but hope that will not prevent your showing me comfortable and agreeable rooms."
"Certainly not, signor; our most elegant and sumptuous apartment is at your command," said the host, with a flattering smile. In the mean time, however, he did not move from the spot, but gazed with confused and anxious countenance first at the stranger, and then at his large trunk, which the men were just lifting from the gondola.
"Will you please show me the rooms?" cried the stranger, impatiently advancing into the hall.
The host sighed deeply, and threw a questioning glance at the head waiter, who returned it with a shrug of his shoulders.
"I will first show you into the dining-saloon," murmured the host, hastening after the stranger. "Will you please step in here, excellency?" and with humble submission he opened the large folding doors before which they stood, and conducted the stranger into the magnificent saloon which served as dining-saloon and ball-room.
"Now, excellency," continued the host, after he closed the door, and had convinced himself by a rapid glance that they were alone, "forgive my curiosity in asking you two questions before I have the honor of showing you your rooms. How long do you intend to remain here?"
"A few days, sir. Well, your second question?"
The host hesitated a moment; then looking down, he said:
"Your excellency is a German?"
"Yes, a German," said the stranger, impatiently.
"I thought so," sighed the host.
"Will you show me my rooms or not? Decide quickly, for I know there are other handsome hotels on the Canale Grande where I would be willingly received."
The host bowed with an aggrieved expression. "Signor, I will show you rooms. Will you have the kindness to follow me?"
Like one who had come to a desperate decision, he advanced and pushed open a door which led to a long passage, with rooms on each side; he passed them all hastily, and entered a small, dark, side- passage, which was little in keeping with the general elegance of the building; the walls were not covered with tapestry, as those of the large halls, but with dirty whitewash; the floor had no carpet, and the doors of the rooms were low and small.
The host opened one of them and led the stranger into a small, simply-furnished room, with a little dark closet
"I swear to live so long as there is hope, so long as I am free! I swear only to think of death when my liberty is threatened!" Slowly his glance returned to earth, and then in a powerful voice, he cried: "Onward! onward! that has ever been Prussia's watch-word, and it shall remain so--Onward! We have a great object be fore us--we must use every effort to keep the Russians out of Berlin. The palladium of our happiness must not fall into the hands of our enemies. The Oder and the Spree must be ours--we must recover to- morrow what the enemy wrenched from us yesterday!"
"Onward! onward!" cried the army, and the words of the king bore courage and enthusiasm to all hearts.
Hope was awakened, and all were ready to follow the king; for however dark and threatening the horizon appeared, all had faith in the star of the king, and believed that it could never be extinguished.
BOOK V.
CHAPTER I.
THE TERESIANI AND THE PRUSSIANI.
At the splendid hotel of the "White Lion," situated on the Canale Grande, a gondola had just arrived. The porter sounded the great house-bell, and the host hastened immediately to greet the stranger, who, having left the gondola, was briskly mounting the small white marble steps that led to the beautiful and sumptuous vestibule of the hotel.
The stranger returned the host's profound and respectful salutation with a stiff military bow, and asked in forced and rather foreign Italian if he could obtain rooms.
Signer Montardo gazed at him with a doubtful and uncertain expression, and instead of answering his question, said:
"Signor, it appears to me that you are a foreigner?"
"Yes," said the stranger, smiling, "my Italian has betrayed me. I am a foreigner, but hope that will not prevent your showing me comfortable and agreeable rooms."
"Certainly not, signor; our most elegant and sumptuous apartment is at your command," said the host, with a flattering smile. In the mean time, however, he did not move from the spot, but gazed with confused and anxious countenance first at the stranger, and then at his large trunk, which the men were just lifting from the gondola.
"Will you please show me the rooms?" cried the stranger, impatiently advancing into the hall.
The host sighed deeply, and threw a questioning glance at the head waiter, who returned it with a shrug of his shoulders.
"I will first show you into the dining-saloon," murmured the host, hastening after the stranger. "Will you please step in here, excellency?" and with humble submission he opened the large folding doors before which they stood, and conducted the stranger into the magnificent saloon which served as dining-saloon and ball-room.
"Now, excellency," continued the host, after he closed the door, and had convinced himself by a rapid glance that they were alone, "forgive my curiosity in asking you two questions before I have the honor of showing you your rooms. How long do you intend to remain here?"
"A few days, sir. Well, your second question?"
The host hesitated a moment; then looking down, he said:
"Your excellency is a German?"
"Yes, a German," said the stranger, impatiently.
"I thought so," sighed the host.
"Will you show me my rooms or not? Decide quickly, for I know there are other handsome hotels on the Canale Grande where I would be willingly received."
The host bowed with an aggrieved expression. "Signor, I will show you rooms. Will you have the kindness to follow me?"
Like one who had come to a desperate decision, he advanced and pushed open a door which led to a long passage, with rooms on each side; he passed them all hastily, and entered a small, dark, side- passage, which was little in keeping with the general elegance of the building; the walls were not covered with tapestry, as those of the large halls, but with dirty whitewash; the floor had no carpet, and the doors of the rooms were low and small.
The host opened one of them and led the stranger into a small, simply-furnished room, with a little dark closet