第27章

Well，youneednotlooksodismayed;Iknowthatyourintentionsaregood，andIconfideinyou。"

"YourmajestyknowsthatIamreadytodieforyou，andthatI

shouldshedmybloodforyouunhesitatinglyandjoyously，"exclaimedHudelist，enthusiastically。"Itwas，therefore，onlymyintenseloveandvenerationwhichmademeventuretocommunicatemyviewsfreelyandopenlytoyourmajesty;butIshallneverdosoagain，forIwasunfortunateenoughtodispleaseyourmajestythereby。"

"Onthecontrary，youshallalwaysdoso，youshallalwaystellmeyouropinionfreelyandopenly，"criedtheemperor，vehemently。"Youshalltellmeallthatyoubelieve，allthatyouknow，andallthatyouhearandlearnfromothers。Yourears，eyes，andtongue，shallbelongtome。"

"Andmyheart，aboveallthings，belongstomyadoredemperor，yourmajesty。"

"Haveyoureallygotaheart？"askedtheemperor，smiling。"Idonotbelieveit，Hudelist;youareaclever，sagaciousman，butyouhadbettersaynothingaboutyourheart，forIthinkyouhaveuseditupinyourcountlesslove—affairs。Moreover，Idonotcareforit。Idonotthinkagreatdealofmenwhohavetoomuchheart，andwhoalwaysallowtheirrashhearttoinfluencetheiractions。Mydistinguishedbrother，theArchdukeJohn，forinstance，hasthisfaultandweakness;hisheartfrequentlyrunsawaywithhishead，andhislegsfinallyrunafterit。"

"Butheisaverybravegeneral，"saidHudelist，gently;"acourageouscaptain，andamostdefiantandfoolhardyenemyofFrance。HowunwaveringwerethecourageandintrepiditywithwhichhemettheViceroyofItalyeverywhere，andattackedhim，eventhoughheknewbeforehandthathewouldbeunabletoworstthesuperiorenemy！Howgreatwasthemagnanimitywithwhichheriskedall，anddidnotshrinkfromsacrificingthelivesofthousandsinattemptingtocarryoutaninsignificantcoupagainsttheenemy！Andhowsublimewastheheroismwithwhichhehasoftendaredtobravetheordersofthecommander—in—chiefandpursuehisownway，onfindingthattheseordersweredangerousandpernicioustohisarmy！"

"Yes，"criedtheemperor，burstingintoscornfullaughter，"itwasowingtothisdisobedienceandstubbornnessthatwelostthebattleofWagram。IftheArchdukeJohnhadbeenmoreobedient，andarrivedwithhistroopsintime，weshouldhavegainedthebattle。IshouldnotbeinthismiserableholeanditwouldnotbenecessaryformetosueBonapartesohumblyandcontritelyforgeneroustermsofpeace。Thegoodheartofmydistinguishedbrothersubjectedmetothisunpleasantnecessity，andIshallonedaymanifesttohimmygratitudeforit。"

"Oh，yourmajesty，"saidHudelist，inhisblandestvoice，"ifthearchdukeshouldhaveunwittinglycommittedablunderonthisoccasion，hehasmadeathousandamendsforit。YourmajestyshouldbearinmindallthatthenobleArchdukeJohnaccomplishedintheTyrol。YourmajestyowesitonlytothearchdukethattheTyrolroseasoneman，thatitfought，andisfightingstill，withtheutmostheroism。Hearrangeditall;heorganizedaconspiracyintheTyrolwhilethecountrywasyetundertheBavarianyoke——avast，giganticconspiracy;owingtohissecretinstigation，therevolutionbrokeoutsimultaneouslyinallpartsoftheTyrol，anditisthenameoftheArchdukeJohnwhichfillsthispeopleofheroeswiththesublimecouragewhichitdisplaysinthemostmurderousbattles。"

"Itisbadenoughthatitisso，"exclaimedtheemperor，stridinguneasilyupanddowntheroom。"TheArchdukeJohnsowedtheseedsofperniciousweeds，andplayedaverydangerousgame。"

"Itistrue，itisdangeroustopreachrebelliontoapeople，andteachithowtoriseininsurrection，"saidHudelist，thoughtfully。

"AnditcannotbedeniedthattheinsurrectionoftheTyrolesesetsadeplorableexampleinsomerespects。Itistrue，thearchdukeorganizedtheconspiracyonlyforthegoodofAustriaandheremperor;butwhattheTyrolesearedoingto—dayFORtheemperor，theymightanothertimedoAGAINSThim;andifthearchdukewerenotsoexceedinglyloyalandentirelyabovesuspicion，onemightthinkhehadstirreduptheinsurrectionforhisownpurposesandbenefit。

Atallevents，itonlydependsonhimtohavehimselfproclaimedKingoftheTyrol，forhisinfluenceisall—powerfulinthatprovince。"

Theemperorutteredacryofrage。Hiseyesshotfire，hislipsquiveredandmutteredincoherentthreats，hischeekshadturnedlivid，andbepacedhisroominindescribableagitation。Then，asiftogiveventtotheragefillinghisbreast，hetookupthefly—flapandstruckviolentlyatthefliesseatedhereandthereonthewall。

Hudelistfollowedhiseverymotionwithhiscold，stealthyeyes，andanexpressionofscornandmaliciousjoyilluminatedhissombrefaceforamoment。

"Itwaseffectual，"hemurmuredtohimself;"jealousyandsuspicionhavestruckrootsinhisheart，andweshallsucceedinneutralizingtheinfluenceofthearchduke，whoconstantlypreacheswar，andwaratanycost。"

Suddenlytheemperorcasthisfly—flapaside，andturnedtoHudelist，whosefacehadquicklyresumeditsquiet，humble，andimpenetrableexpression。

"Hudelist，"saidtheemperor，inalowandmysterioustone，"alwaystellmeallyouknowaboutthearchduke，anddonotconcealanythingfromme。Imustknowall，andcountuponyoursincerityandtalentofobservation。"

"Yourmajesty，"criedHudelist，ardently，"IswearthatIwillfaithfullycarryouttheordersofmyemperor。Notaword，notastep，notamanifestationofpublicopinionshallbeconcealedfromyourmajesty;for，asyourmajestywasgraciousenoughtoobserve，myears，eyes，andtongue，belongtoyourmajesty。"

Atthismomentthedooroftheanteroomopened，andafootmanannouncedCountBubna。

"Lethimcomein，"saidtheemperor;andhedismissed，withaquickwaveofhishand，Hudelist，who，bowingrespectfully，andwalkingbackward，lefttheemperor\'scabinetatthesamemomentthatCountBubnaappearedonthethresholdoftheoppositedoor。

Theemperorhastenedtomeethim。"Nowspeak，count！"heexclaimed，eagerly;"didyouseeBonaparte？Didheadmityou？"

"Yes，yourmajesty，"saidCountBubna，withgloomygravity，"theEmperorNapoleondidadmitme。Ihadalonginterviewwithhim。"

Theemperornoddedhishead。"Didheofferyoutermsofpeace？"

"Hedid，butIcannotconcealfromyourmajestythattheEmperorNapoleonwillimposeveryharshandoppressiveconditions。Heisexceedinglyirritated，andtheheroicresistancewhichourarmyofferedtohim，ourbrilliantvictoryatAspern，andthefactthathisvictoryatWagramwasafteralllittlebetterthanadrawnbattle，seemtohaveexasperatedhimintheextreme。Forthisreasonheisresolvedtoimposerigoroustermsofpeaceonus，because，ifAustriashouldsubmittothem，shewouldtherebyadmitthattheEmperoroftheFrenchgainedagreatvictoryatWagram。"

"Well，Iamgladthatheisirritated，"saidtheemperor，shrugginghisshoulders;"soamI，andIshallnotacceptanypeacewhichwouldimposehumiliatingtermsonAustria。ThatiswhatIhavepromisedthisverydaytomypeopleintheproclamationlyingonthetableyonder;andIoweit，moreover，tomyself。Eitheranhonorablepeace，oradecisionbythefortuneofwar。Ifneedbe，Iwillcalluponmywholepeopletotakeuparms;Iwillplacemyselfattheheadofthisgrandarmy，andeitherdefeatBonaparte，orsuccumbhonorably。"

"Ah，ifyourpeoplecouldseeyourmajestyinyourgenerousexcitement，withhowmuchenthusiasmtheywouldfollowtheiremperorandexpeltheenemy！"exclaimedCountBubna。"Andyeteventhemostintenseenthusiasmmightfail，forcircumstancesaremorepowerfulthanyourmajesty\'sheroism。TheEmperorNapoleonisdeterminedtofollowuphissuccesstoitsmostextremeconsequences，andweareatthisjunctureunabletocopewithhiminthelongrun。Allthegapsinhisarmyhavebeenfilledup，andhissoldiersareflushedwithvictory，andeagertomeetourownforces。Ourarmyisgreatlyweakened，disorganized，anddisheartened;and，moreover，ithasnocommander—in—chief，inasmuchasyourmajestyhasacceptedtheresignationofthegeneralissimo。TocontinuethewarwouldbeequivalenttoendangeringtheexistenceofAustriaandtheimperialdynastyitself。"

"Ah，youmeanthatBonapartewouldbepleasedtosayofmydynastywhathesaidofNaplesandSpain:\'TheBourbonshaveceasedtoreign\'？"

"Yourmajesty，althoughtheEmperorNapoleondidnotdaretousesuchunmeasuredlanguage，hedidnotfailtohintatsuchanevent。

Havingadmittedmeafterrepeatedrefusalsandhearingmyfirstwords，\'Myaugustmaster，theEmperorofAustria，\'theEmperorNapoleoninterruptedme，andcriedvehemently，\'ThereisnolongeranEmperorofAustria，butonlyaPrinceofLorraine！\'"

"Ah，indeed，hepermitsmeatleasttoretainthetitleofaPrinceofLorraine！Andwhatelsedidhesay？Donotconcealanythingfromme，CountBubna，butbearinmindthatImustknowall，inordertotakemyresolutionsaccordingly。"

"Yourmajesty，ifIdidnotbearthisinmind，IshouldneverventuretorepeatwhattheEmperorNapoleonpermittedhimselftosaytome。Heseemedtospeakquiteunreservedlyinmypresence;lyingonthefloorbythesideofhismaps，orsittingonthetableandplacinghisfeetonachair，orstandingbeforemewithfoldedarms，hespoketomewithafranknesswhichalmostfrightenedme，andwhichattimesseemedtomequiteinvoluntary。"

"Thereyouweremistaken，atallevents，"saidFrancis，shrugginghisshoulders。"Bonaparteneverdoesanythingunintentionally，andnotawordescapeshimbutwhathewantstoutter。Iknowhimbetterthanyouall，thoughIhaveseenhimonlyonceinmylife;andGodknowsthat，aftermyinterviewwithhimsubsequenttothebattleofAusterlitz，myheartwasfilledwithintensehatredagainsthim。

Now，myheartismoreconstantinhatredthaninlove;andifitissaidthatlovemakesusblind，hatred，ontheotherhand，rendersuskeen—sighted，andthatisthereasonwhyIamabletoseethroughBonaparteandknowhimbetterthanyouall。Tellme，therefore，whathesaidsofranklytoyou，andIshallknowwhattothinkofhisstatementswhichseemtoyouunintentionalexpressionsofhisrealsentiments。Whatdoeshethinkofthearmistice？Ishereallyintentondrawingtheswordoncemore，orisheinclinedtoconcludepeace？"

"Inclined，yourmajesty，isnottherightword。HeintendstoGRANT

peacetoyourmajestyinretur