Frederick the Great and His Family [338]
anguish was written in her face. She dared not interrupt this fearful silence, and appeared to be only occupied in arranging her toilet; she took off her hat and velvet mantle.
"Madame," said the prince at last, gasping at every word, "I am here to make a request of you!"
Wilhelmina bowed coldly and ceremoniously. "You have only to command, my husband!"
"Well, then, "said he, no longer able to maintain his artificial composure. "I command you to show me the letter you have hidden in your bosom."
"What letter, prince?" stammered she, stepping back alarmed.
"The letter which Count Kalkreuth gave you in the garden. Do not utter a falsehood; do not dare to deny it. I am not in a mood to be restrained by any earthly consideration."
As he stood thus, opposed to her, with flashing eyes, with trembling lips, and his arm raised threateningly, Wilhelmina felt that it would be dangerous, indeed impossible to make any opposition. She knew that the decisive moment had arrived, the veil must be lifted, and that deception was no longer possible.
"The letter! give me the letter!" cried the prince, with a menacing voice.
Wilhelmina gazed at him steadily, with eyes full of scorn and hatred.
"Here it is," taking the letter calmly from her bosom, and handing it to the prince.
He snatched it like a tiger about to tear his prey to pieces; but when he had opened it and held it before him, the paper trembled so in his hands, he was scarcely able to read it. Once he murmured: "Ah! he dares to say thou to you; he calls you his 'adored Wilhelmina!'" He read on, groaning, sometimes crying out aloud, then muttering wild imprecations.
The princess stood in front of him, pale as death, trembling in every limb; her teeth were chattering, and she was forced to lean against her chair to keep from falling.
When the prince had finished reading the letter, he crushed it and thrust it in his bosom, then fixed his eyes upon his wife with an expression of such intense, unspeakable misery, that the princess felt her heart moved to its profoundest depths.
"Oh, my husband," she said, "curse me!--murder me!--but do not look upon me thus." She then sank as if pressed down by an invisible power, to her knees, and raised her hands to him imploringly.
The prince laughed coarsely, and stepped back. "Rise, madame," said he, "we are not acting a comedy--it is only your husband who is speaking with you. Rise, madame, and give me the key to your secretary. You will understand that after having read this letter I desire to see the others. As your husband, I have at least the right to know how much confidence you have placed in your lover, and how far you return his passion."
"You despise me," cried Wilhelmina, bursting into tears.
"I think I am justified in doing so," said he, coldly. "Stand up, and give me the key."
She rose and staggered to the table. "Here is the key."
The prince opened the secretary. "Where are the letters, madame?"
"In the upper drawer to the left."
"Ah," said lie with a rude laugh, "not even in a secret compartment have you guarded these precious letters. You were so sure of my blind confidence in you that you did not even conceal your jewels."
Princess Wilhelmina did not answer, but as the prince read one after the other of the letters, she sank again upon her knees. "My God, my God!" murmured she, "have pity upon me! Send Thy lightning and crush me. Oh, my God! why will not the earth cover me and hide me from his glance!"
Rivers of tears burst from her eyes, and raising her arms to heaven, she uttered prayers of anguish and repentance.
The prince read on, on, in these unholy letters. Once he exclaimed aloud, and rushed with the letter to the princess.
"Is this true?" said he--"is this which you have written, true?"
"What? Is what true?" said Wilhelmina, rising slowly from her knees.
"He thanks you in this letter for having written to him that you have never loved any man but himself--him--Kalkreuth alone! Did you write the truth?"
"I wrote it, and it is the truth," said
"Madame," said the prince at last, gasping at every word, "I am here to make a request of you!"
Wilhelmina bowed coldly and ceremoniously. "You have only to command, my husband!"
"Well, then, "said he, no longer able to maintain his artificial composure. "I command you to show me the letter you have hidden in your bosom."
"What letter, prince?" stammered she, stepping back alarmed.
"The letter which Count Kalkreuth gave you in the garden. Do not utter a falsehood; do not dare to deny it. I am not in a mood to be restrained by any earthly consideration."
As he stood thus, opposed to her, with flashing eyes, with trembling lips, and his arm raised threateningly, Wilhelmina felt that it would be dangerous, indeed impossible to make any opposition. She knew that the decisive moment had arrived, the veil must be lifted, and that deception was no longer possible.
"The letter! give me the letter!" cried the prince, with a menacing voice.
Wilhelmina gazed at him steadily, with eyes full of scorn and hatred.
"Here it is," taking the letter calmly from her bosom, and handing it to the prince.
He snatched it like a tiger about to tear his prey to pieces; but when he had opened it and held it before him, the paper trembled so in his hands, he was scarcely able to read it. Once he murmured: "Ah! he dares to say thou to you; he calls you his 'adored Wilhelmina!'" He read on, groaning, sometimes crying out aloud, then muttering wild imprecations.
The princess stood in front of him, pale as death, trembling in every limb; her teeth were chattering, and she was forced to lean against her chair to keep from falling.
When the prince had finished reading the letter, he crushed it and thrust it in his bosom, then fixed his eyes upon his wife with an expression of such intense, unspeakable misery, that the princess felt her heart moved to its profoundest depths.
"Oh, my husband," she said, "curse me!--murder me!--but do not look upon me thus." She then sank as if pressed down by an invisible power, to her knees, and raised her hands to him imploringly.
The prince laughed coarsely, and stepped back. "Rise, madame," said he, "we are not acting a comedy--it is only your husband who is speaking with you. Rise, madame, and give me the key to your secretary. You will understand that after having read this letter I desire to see the others. As your husband, I have at least the right to know how much confidence you have placed in your lover, and how far you return his passion."
"You despise me," cried Wilhelmina, bursting into tears.
"I think I am justified in doing so," said he, coldly. "Stand up, and give me the key."
She rose and staggered to the table. "Here is the key."
The prince opened the secretary. "Where are the letters, madame?"
"In the upper drawer to the left."
"Ah," said lie with a rude laugh, "not even in a secret compartment have you guarded these precious letters. You were so sure of my blind confidence in you that you did not even conceal your jewels."
Princess Wilhelmina did not answer, but as the prince read one after the other of the letters, she sank again upon her knees. "My God, my God!" murmured she, "have pity upon me! Send Thy lightning and crush me. Oh, my God! why will not the earth cover me and hide me from his glance!"
Rivers of tears burst from her eyes, and raising her arms to heaven, she uttered prayers of anguish and repentance.
The prince read on, on, in these unholy letters. Once he exclaimed aloud, and rushed with the letter to the princess.
"Is this true?" said he--"is this which you have written, true?"
"What? Is what true?" said Wilhelmina, rising slowly from her knees.
"He thanks you in this letter for having written to him that you have never loved any man but himself--him--Kalkreuth alone! Did you write the truth?"
"I wrote it, and it is the truth," said