Tales from the German. Volume I.

by C. F. van der Velde

CHAPTER VI.

The fieldmarshal Rhenskioeld sat waiting, upon the sofa in the cabinet of baron von Goertz. The latter returned from the palace, and his indignation at the offensive answer he had received, gave way to the joy of again meeting his friend.

'I thank you, my worthy friend,' said he, embracing Rhenskioeld, 'that you have complied with my request so promptly. It was my duty to visit you, but my hours are all numbered. I shall be compelled to labor through the whole night, and in the morning I shall be on my way towards Frederickshall.'

'You come from Aland?' eagerly asked Rhenskioeld: 'what news from thence?'

'Thank God!' cried Goertz with clasped hands: 'I bring you peace with Russia.'

'Peace!' exclaimed Rhenskioeld, springing from his seat. 'Peace between the shrewd czar, who never fails to follow up an advantage, and our Charles, whom misfortune only renders the more inflexibly? It is impossible! Even could you really obtain tolerable conditions yet would the king never accept them.'

'The splendid conditions which I bring will certainly be ratified by him,' answered Goertz. 'Peter retains nothing of his conquests except Livonia, a part of Ingermanland and Caralia. He yields back all besides.'

'Peter give any thing back!' screamed Rhenskioeld, with astonishment.

'Russia,' proceeded Goertz, 'binds herself with us, to set upon the throne of Poland the same Stanislaus whom she formerly chased from it, and furnishes 80,000 men to enthrone the same august personage against whom she has been fighting the last ten years.'

'You must be relating to me, a fable from the thousand and one nights!' said Rhenskioeld incredulously.

'Russia,' proceeded Goertz, 'is to furnish shipping for the conveyance of 10,000 Swedes to England to sustain the Pretender. In connection with Sweden, she seizes upon Hanover. We take Bremen and Verden, re-establish the duke of Holstein, force Prussia to give up her booty, and compel the emperor to observe the treaty of Altranstadt.'

'And now are you awake?' asked the fieldmarshal with a satirical smile: 'for thus do such narrations usually terminate, when the narrator has only been dreaming.'

Goertz stopped, and gazed at his auditor. He however conquered his impetuosity, went to his writing desk, took from it a manuscript, and with the exclamation, 'read,' gave it to the fieldmarshal.

Rhenskioeld read--and as he read his eyes opened wider and wider, while in the same ratio his brow became knit with anger, and he appeared to struggle with some highly unpleasant feeling. Finally, he silently gave back the paper, rose up, and took his hat and sword.

'You appear to be convinced, now, sir fieldmarshal,' said Goertz: 'but the conviction does not seem to please you, notwithstanding you have had a great share in bringing about the peace. Had you not brought the king to better thoughts when already the whole negociation threatened to miscarry, I should never have arrived where I am to-day.'

'Yes,' answered Rhenskioeld, coldly: 'it gives me pleasure to learn that I have been the ladder upon which you have mounted to the pinnacle, and I wish you joy of it.'

He bowed very formally and departed. Goertz himself lighted him out. 'Another friend lost!' said he as he came back. 'I already perceive that this peace is too advantageous for Rhenskioeld not to envy my instrumentality in its conclusion.'

Directly, he heard a slight knock at the door, and a delicate voice asked, 'may we now come in?'

'Walk in!' cried Goertz, who well knew the little voice, with a smile of paternal pleasure, and his little daughter Magdalena, led by Georgina, skipped into the room. With impetuous, feeling, Georgina fell upon his neck, whilst Magdalena climbed upon his knees and compelled him to take her in his arms.

'Où peut-on être mieux qu'au sein de sa famille?' said the father, kissing the little Magdalena right heartily. 'My own house, I verily believe, is the only place in Sweden where I can meet with sincere affection.'

'Yes, indeed, my father,' said Georgina with a sigh. 'I daily perceive more and more clearly how little justice you have to expect in a country you are laboring to save. The audience this evening denied you is a fresh instance. The princess was not ill--she feigned illness that she might have a pretext for refusing to see you.'

'It will be indeed an evil day for me,' said Goertz, smiling, 'when my destiny shall be in the hands of Ulrika. She can never forgive me that her brother now places that confidence in me which he has always withheld from her. But how comes it that you, Georgina, with your fifteen years, evince such deep observation?'

Long did he look at her in deep meditation. 'In truth,' proceeded he, 'it appears to me that you have shot up wonderfully tall, and that which with you women they call reason has developed itself with wonderful rapidity. Right beauteous are you, also, and in your eyes I see a kindling of enthusiasm. You cannot yet by any means have learned that you have a heart?'

Georgina, who during this sharp review had kept her eyes cast down, now raised them timidly up and sought to read the expression of her father's face. The kindness and good nature which she found impressed there, gave her courage, and pressing his hand to her lips she threw herself at his feet.

'What means this?' asked he indignantly, withdrawing his hand. 'I am no tyrant such as they portray in French tragedies, nor am I fond of theatrical scenes in real life. Stand up if you wish me to listen to you.'

'Never, until you forgive me,' sobbed Georgina: 'I love!'

'So my observation did not deceive me,' said her father. 'You love? a little too early, I must confess. But stand up, and tell me at once whom you love.'

'The count Gyllenstierna,' lisped Georgina, in a scarcely audible voice.

'Poor child!' exclaimed Goertz, compassionately. 'That will be a troublesome affair to arrange.'

'That is what we have feared!' cried Georgina, wringing her hands and rising up.

'I would not at any rate bring forward any objections against the young man,' proceeded Goertz. 'But both of you have wholly overlooked the fact, that his father is one of my most decided enemies. I would rather undertake to bring about a peace between Sweden and Denmark than between him and me.

The little Magdalena then threw her small, white arms round her father's neck. 'Pray, pray,' implored she, 'give to poor Georgina her Arwed; she loves him so very much.'

'Magdalena then is your confidant?' Goertz asked Georgina good humoredly: 'she knows even the christian name of your chosen one. But children, this affair, indeed, takes me by surprise. However, for the present, at least, I shall not say no. To the yes, it will be necessary to gain the consent of another besides the weak father of a beloved daughter. Meanwhile, I should like to become a little acquainted with your Corydon. So bring him in, Georgina, for no doubt you hold him in ambuscade ready for the occasion.'

'You do me great injustice, dear father,' said Georgina, whose maiden sensibility was touched. 'Arwed is in the Swedish camp, before Frederickshall. He has already conquered a battery, for which the king has named him a captain in the guards.'

'That, I confess, is being far on the way to a fieldmarshalship:' said Goertz, jestingly, to conceal his surprise. 'At present I rejoice that your choice does you honor every way: what further may come, is in the hands of God. The idea is very agreeable to me, through the medium of a beloved daughter to connect myself with one of the noble houses of the country in which I hope to naturalize myself by my unceasing labors for its welfare. If the other party would only think the same! But old Nils Gyllenstierna will have many and strong objections.'

'So Arwed also thought,' said Georgina sorrowfully.

'Yes, yes,' said Goertz, looking sadly forward: 'I have now in all Sweden but one only friend, and my sole happiness is that he wears Sweden's crown.' Thus saying, he rose up and ardently embraced his daughters 'Retire to rest now, children,' said he: 'go and build your airy castles, as brightly colored and dazzling as you please. And if time destroy them, still will you have enjoyed the pleasures of hope,--and that is much in a world whose joys consist almost entirely in anticipation and remembrance. Go! I must yet watch and labor for Sweden and for you. Rewarded by this land with hatred, from your hearts I expect love and gratitude, and will therewith consider myself compensated.'

'All will yet end well, dear father,' said Georgina, consolingly. 'Since I have confessed to you my secret, and since you have received it so kindly, a heavy weight is removed from my breast. I breathe again with ease and joy, and already feel as if my aim was attained and nothing more could be wanting in this world.'

The girls retired, and Goertz closed the door after them.