第22章

Stadionunfoldedtheletterandread:

"ColonelSteigenteschwillreturnfromhismissionwithoutaccomplishinganything。PrussiaandAustriaarerivalsinGermany，andwillneverjoinhandsinacommonundertaking。AustriacanneverforgivePrussiafortakingSilesiafromher，andPrussiawillalwayssecretlysuspectthatAustriaisintentuponweakeningherrisingpowerandhumblingherambition。Hence，Prussiawillhesitateandtemporizeevenatthisjuncture，althoughitisall—importantnowforGermanytotakeaboldstandagainsthercommonenemy，rapaciousandinsatiableFrance;shewillhesitatebecauseshesecretlywishesthatAustriashouldbehumiliated;andshewillnotbearinmindthattheweakeningofAustriaisfraughtwithdangerforPrussia，nay，thewholeofGermany。"

"Now。gentlemen，"saidtheemperor，whenCountStadionwasthrough，"youseethatmyopinionwasright，andthatIwellknewwhatIhadtoexpectfromPrussia。WemustnowcarryonthestruggleagainstFrancesingle—handed;but，afterdealingheranotherblow，forwhichtheKingofPrussialongs，weshalltakegoodcarenottoinvitePrussiatoourvictoriousrepast。ItwouldbejustinuseventocompelhertogiveusthesweetmorselofSilesiaforourdessert。

Well，weshallseewhattimewillbringabout。OurfirstblowagainstFrancewassuccessful。——Archduke，goandhelpustosucceedindealingheranother;and，afterdefeatingFrancesingle—handed，weshallalsobemastersofGermany。"

CHAPTERXXVII。

THEBATTLEOFWAGRAM。

"Atlength！"exclaimedtheArchdukeJohn，joyously，holdinguptheletterwhichacourierofthegeneralissimohadjustbroughthimfromtheheadquartersofWagram。"Atlengthadecisiveblowistobestruck。——CountNugent，GeneralFrimont，comeinhere！Acourierfromthegeneralissimo！"

Sosaying，thearchdukehadopenedthedoorofhiscabinet，andcalledthegentlemenwhowereintheanteroom。

"Acourierfromthegeneralissimo，"herepeatedoncemore，whenthetwogeneralscamein。

"Yourhighness\'swishisfulfillednow，isitnot？"askedNugent。

"Thegeneralissimoacceptstheassistancewhichyouofferedtohim。

HepermitsyoutoleavethispositionwithyourtroopsandthoseoftheArchdukePalatineandre—enforcehisownarmy？"

"No，hedoesnotreplytomyoffer。ItseemsthegeneralissimothinksthathedoesnotneedustobeattheFrench。Buthewritestomethatheisabouttoadvancewithhiswholearmy，andthatadecisivebattlemaybelookedfor。HesaystheenemyisstillontheislandofLobau，busilyengagedinerectingaTETE—DE—PONT，andbuildingabridgeacrosstheDanube。"

"Andourtroopsdonottrytopreventthisbyallmeans！"criedGeneralFrimont，vehemently。"Theyallowtheenemytobuildbridges？

Theylookonquietlywhiletheenemyispreparingtoleavetheisland，anddonotpreventhimfromsodoing？"

"Myfriend，"saidthearchduke，gently，"letusneverforgetthatitdoesnotbehooveustocriticisetheactionsofthegeneralissimo，andthatoursoledutyistoobey。DoasIdo;letusbesilentandsubmit。Butletusrejoicethatsomethingwillbedoneatlength。

Justbearinmindhowlongthisinactivityandsuspensehavelastedalready。ThebattleofAspernwasfoughtonthe22dofMay，to—dayisthe3dofJuly;andinthemeantimenothinghasbeendone。TheenemyremainedquietlyontheislandofLobau，nursinghiswounded，reorganizinghistroops，erectingTETES—DE—PONT，andbuildingbridges;andthegeneralissimostoodwithhiswholearmyonthebankoftheDanube，andtookgreatpainstowatchinidlenessthebusyenemy。LetusthankGod，therefore，thatatlasttheenemyistiredofthissituation，thatheatlengthtakestheinitiativeagain，andbringsaboutadecision。Thegeneralissimoinformsmethattheenemy\'sartillerydislodgedouroutpostsyesterday，andthatsomeFrenchinfantrycrossedovertotheMuhlau。Thegeneralissimo，asI

toldyoubefore，advancedwithhistroops，andhopesforadecisivebattlewithinafewdays。"

"Andyetthegeneralissimodoesnotaccepttheassistancewhichyourimperialhighnessofferedtohim？"askedCountNugent，shakinghishead。

"No，hedoesnot。Thegeneralissimoordersme，onthecontrary，tostayhereatPresburgandoperateinsuchamanneragainstthecorpsstationedhere，thatitmaynotbeabletojoinNapoleon\'smainarmy。Well，then，gentlemen，letuscomplywiththisorder，andperformatleastourhumblepartofthegeneralissimo\'sgrandplan。

Letushelphimtogainavictory，forthevictorywillbeusefultothefatherland。Wewill，therefore，formapontoon—bridgeto—day，andmakeasortiefromtheTETE—DE—PONT。You，GeneralFrimont，willorderupthebatteriesfromComorn。You，GeneralNugent，willinformtheArchdukePalatineofthegeneralissimo\'sorders。WritehimalsothatitispositivethattheenemyismovingallhistroopstoVienna，andthatallhiscolumnsarealreadyonthemarchthither。

Tellhimthatitisall—importantforustodetainhim，andthatI，therefore，haveresolvedtomakeasortiefromtheTETE—DE—PONT，andrequesttheArchdukePalatinetoco—operatewithmeontherightbankoftheDanube。Letusgotowork，gentlemen，towork！Wehavenotimetolose。Theorderistokeeptheenemyherebyallmeans;

letusstrivetodoit！"

Andtheywenttoworkwithjoyouszealanduntiringenergy;allnecessarydispositionsweremadeforformingapontoon—bridge，andpreventingtheenemyfromjoiningNapoleon\'smainarmy。TheArchdukeJohnsuperintendedeverythinginperson;hewaspresentwhereverdifficultiesweretobesurmounted，orobstaclestoberemoved。Inhisardentzeal，hedidnothesitatetotakepartinthetoilsofhismen，andthesoldierscheeredenthusiasticallyonseeinghimworksohardinthemidstoftheirranks。

Earlyinthemorningofthe5thofJulythebridgewascompleted，theTETE—DE—PONTwasfullyarmed，andeverythingwasinreadinessforthesortie。TheArchduke，whohadnotsleptallthenightlong，wasjustreturningfromaninspectionofthepreparations，whenacouriergallopeduptohiminthemiddleofthebridge。Onbeholdingthearchduke，hejumpedfromhishorse，andhandedhim，pantingandintremblinghaste，aletterfromthegeneralissimo。

"Youhaveriddenveryrapidly？Youwereinstructedthentomakegreathaste？"askedJohn。

"IrodehitherfromWagramintenhours，yourimperialhighness，"

saidthecourier，breathlessly;"Iwasinstructedtorideasrapidlyaspossible。"

"Youhavedoneyourdutyfaithfully。Goandrest。"

Henoddedkindlytothecourier，andrepairedtohishead—quarterstoreadtheletterhehadjustreceivedfromhisbrother。

Thisletterrevokedallorderswhichhadbeensenttohimuptothistime。ThearchdukehadvainlyofferedhiscooperationandthatoftheArchdukePalatinefourdaysago。Atthattimenotevenareplyhadbeenmadetohisoffer;now，atthelastmoment，thegeneralissimocalledimpetuouslyuponhisbrothertohastentohisassistance。HedemandedthattheArchdukeJohnshouldsetoutatonce，leaveonlytroopsenoughtoholdtheTET—DE—PONT，andhastenupwiththeremainderofhisforcestothesceneofaction。

Whenthearchdukerealthisorder，abittersmileplayedroundhislips。"See，"hesaid，mournfully，toGeneralFrimont，"nowIamneededallatonce，anditseemsasifthebattlecannotbegainedwithoutus。Itisall—importantforustoarriveintimeatthepointtowhichwearecalledsolate，perhapstoolate。Ah，whatisthat？Whatdoyoubringtome，Nugent？"

"Anothercourierfromthegeneralissimohasarrived;hebroughtthisletter。"

"Yousee，muchdeferenceispaidtousallofasudden;wearetreatedashighlyimportantassistants，"sighedthearchduke。Hethenunfoldedthepaperquicklyandreadit。

"Thegeneralissimo，"hesaid，"informsmenowthathehaschangedhisplan，andwillnotgivebattleonthebankoftheDanube，buttakepositionintherearofWagram。HeinstructsmetomakeaforcedmarchtoMarchegg，advance，afterrestingthereforthreehours，toSiebenbrunn，andtakepositionthere。Verywell，gentlemen，letuscarrythegeneralissimo\'sordersintoeffect。Atoneo\'clockto—night，allmustbeinreadinessforsettingout。Weneedthetimebetweennowandthentoconcentratetheextendedlinesofourtroops。Ifwearereadyatallearlierhour，weshallsetoutatonce。Makehaste;Letthatbethepasswordto—night！"

Thankstothispassword，allthetroopshadbeenconcentratedbymidnight，andthemarchwasjustabouttobeginwhenanothercourierarrivedfromthegeneralissimo，andinformedthearchdukethattheenemywasadvancing，andthatitwasnowthegeneralissimo\'sintentiontoattackhimandforcehimtogivebattle。TheArchdukeJohnwasorderedtomarchasrapidlyaspossibletoSiebenbrunn，whitherastrongcorpsoftheenemyhadsetout。

TheArchdukeJohnnowadvancedwithhistenthousandmenwiththeutmostrapiditytowardMarchegg。Thetroopswereexhaustedbythetoilsandfatiguesofthelastdays;theyhadnoteatenanythingfortwenty—fourhours;butthearchdukeandhisgeneralsandstaff—

officersalwaysknewhowtostirthemupandinducethemtocontinuetheirmarchwithunflaggingenergy。ThustheyatlengthreachedMarchegg，wheretheyweretorestforthreehours。

ButnosoonerhadtheyarrivedtherethanCountReuss，thegeneralissimo\'saide—de—camp，gallopeduponachargercoveredalloverwithfoam。ThecounthadriddeninsevenhoursfromWagramtoMarcheggforitwasall—importantthatthearchdukeshouldacceleratehismarch。Thebattlewasragingalreadywithgreatfury。

Thegeneralissimowasinurgentneedofthearchduke\'sassistance。

Hence，thelatterwasnottorestwithhistroopsatMarchegg，butcontinuehismarchandadvancewiththeutmostspeedbySiebenbrunntoLoibersdorf。AtSiebenbrunnhewouldfindField—MarshalRosenberg;heshouldthen，jointlywithhim，attacktheenemy。

"Letussetout，then，forLoibersdorf，"saidJohn，sighing;"wewilldoallwecan，andthu