The victor contented himself with disarming the citizens and exacting the moderate tribute of 100,000 francs.
Among the first to present himself before the Swedish King was Cardinal Radziekowski, who had left Varsovia to withdraw to his residence at Lowitz.
Karl received him, without pomp or ceremony, in his headquarters, which he had established at Praga, near the capital.
The Cardinal Primate looked at this youthful hero with a curiosity equal to that with which Aurora von Königsmarck had first gazed at him, and with the same desperate desire and eager hope to turn him to his own ends.
These ends were directly in opposition to those of the fair Countess; he labored to overthrow the crown she wished at all costs to preserve. Karl was standing with his brother-in-law, Count Piper, and several generals, distinguished from the others by his height and the plainness of his attire; he wore his heavy blue cloth coat with gilt leather buttons, black satin cravat, white breeches, high boots, and leather gloves that came to the elbows; he had his hair short, in contrast to the flowing perukes of the other gentlemen, and his still beardless face was browned above his fair proper complexion. He advanced to meet the Cardinal with an air of friendliness, but there was but little change in his cold countenance and the steady gleam of his blue eyes.
The Cardinal felt chilled, and faltered a little in the high-flown compliments that he had prepared to salute the conqueror.
“You have come to speak of peace?” asked Karl, cutting short his speech.
“Your Majesty,” replied the Cardinal, with some difficulty, rallying his wits in face of this personality so unusual and so unexpected, “Your Majesty promised peace in Varsovia.”
“I promised to discuss peace in Varsovia,” replied the young conqueror, “and I shall keep my word.”
The Cardinal bowed his head; it was difficult to know what to say before such imperious abruptness.