"
The king still hesitated. Owing to his sense of honor and his
conscientiousness, he shrank from doing what his heart so intensely
desired; and, before making up his mind, he wished to hear the views of
his friends, General von Koeckeritz and Field-Marshal Kalkreuth, who were
carrying on the peace negotiations with Talleyrand. Both of them shared
the opinion of the Emperor Alexander; both of them exclaimed: "The queen
is our last hope! She alone is able to make an impression upon the
inexorable conqueror, and Napoleon possibly may not refuse her what he
declined granting to your majesty and to us. It is necessary for the
welfare of Prussia that her majesty should come hither."
The king delayed no longer. He wrote to the queen, and requested her to
come to his headquarters at Puktupoehnen. He told her it was her sacred
duty to make a last effort for the preservation of Prussia--that every
thing would be lost if She failed to move Napoleon by her supplications
and remonstrances. A courier hastened immediately with the letter to
Memel. When Louisa read it, a pallor overspread her features. Uttering a
cry of excruciating anguish, she dropped the paper into her lap, and
buried her face in her hands.
Madame von Berg, who had heard the loud sobs of the queen in the
adjoining room, hastened to console or weep with her. Louisa did not
hear her come; she was still absorbed in grief; only incoherent
lamentations fell from her lips, and her tears fell on the letter lying
in her lap.
Pages:
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410