WHAT PASSED AT FRANKFORT BETWEEN THE BATTLES OF LANGENSALZA AND SADOWA
Frankfort followed from afar and with anxiety the struggle which went on
in the other parts of Germany. But she did not believe that that
struggle could reach even her. By June 29th Prince Charles of Bavaria
had been appointed general of the Federated Troops. On the same day
Frankfort heard the news of the victory of Langensalza. This caused
great joy throughout the town, though no one dared to show it. On June
30th Rudolfstadt and the Hanseatic towns declared that they withdrew
from the Confederation. The Würtemberg and Baden regiments were in the
town; the soldiers, in groups of four and five, went gaily about the
streets in hackney carriages. On July 1st, news came of the capitulation
of the Hanoverian Army. On July 3rd Mecklenburg, Gotha, and the younger
branch of Reuss declared that they withdrew from the Confederation. On
July 4th the Prussian papers accused the people of Frankfort of having
turned all Prussian subjects out of the town, even those who had been
established there for ten years, and of having illuminated their streets
on the news of the victory of Langensalza. They had not done so; but the
falser the charge, the more it frightened the people of Frankfort.
Evidently the Prussians were trying to pick a quarrel with them. On July
5th the gloom increased; news came of the defeat of the Austrians
between Königsgrätz and Josephstadt. On July 8th the first news of the
battle of Sadowa arrived in Frankfort.
Everything that that fatalist, Dr. Speltz, had said with regard to
Marshal Benedek came true. After two checks he lost his head; to speak
in the language of Herr Speltz, Saturn ruled above Mars and Jupiter.
What he had foreseen in another direction, about the superior equipment
of the Prussians--in conjunction with their natural courage--also came
true. In no single encounter had the Austrians the advantage. The only
victory gained over the Prussians was that when the King of Hanover had
been in command.
But what particularly terrified Frankfort was the order given by the
commanding officers of the Allies' Army to make entrenchments in the
neighbourhood of the town. On this occasion, the Senate awoke from its
inactivity, it arose and protested to the Diet that Frankfort was an
unfortified town which was not able, and did not wish to be defended.
But, in spite of the protestations of the Senate, the troops came to
Frankfort.
On July 12th a fresh regiment was announced. It was the 8th regiment of
the Federated Army, under the orders of Prince Alexander of Hesse,
composed of men from Würtemberg, Baden, and Hesse, and an Austrian
Brigade commanded by Count Monte Nuovo. They had scarcely entered
Frankfort, when Count Monte Nuovo enquired for the house of the Chandroz
family, and got himself billeted upon the widowed Madame von Beling who
resided there.
Count Monte Nuovo, which title disguised the celebrated name of Neuburg,
was the son of Marie Louise. He was a handsome, tall, fashionable
general of forty-eight or fifty, who presented himself to Madame von
Beling with all the Austrian grace and courtesy, and who, in saluting
Helen, let fall from his lips the name of Karl von Freyberg.
Helen started. Emma had excused herself, as the wife of a Prussian, from
doing the honours of her house to a man with whom her husband might be
fighting on the morrow. This absence gave Count Monte Nuovo the
opportunity of being alone with Helen. Helen, it is hardly necessary to
say, awaited this moment with impatience.
"Count," said she, as soon as they were alone, "you mentioned a certain
name."
"The name of a man who adores you, Fräulein."
"The name of my _fiancé_," said Helen, rising.
Count Monte Nuovo bowed and signed to her to reseat herself.
"I know it, Fräulein," he said; "Count Karl is my friend. He has bidden
me hand you this letter and to give you news of him with my own lips."
Helen took the letter.
"Thank you, sir," she said, and, eager to read it. "You will allow me,
won't you?"
"Certainly," said the count bowing, and he appeared to become absorbed
in a portrait of Herr von Beling in his uniform.
The letter was all vows of love and protestations of tenderness such as
lovers write to each other. Old phrases always new; flowers plucked on
the day of creation, and, after six thousand years, as sweet as on the
first day.
Having finished the letter, as Count Monte Nuovo still looked straight
at the portrait:
"Sir," said Helen, in a low voice.
"Fräulein?" answered the count, approaching her; "Karl lets me hope that
you will give me some details yourself," and he adds: 'Before coming to
grips with the Prussians, he will, or indeed we shall perhaps, have the
pleasure of seeing you again.'"
"It is possible, Fräulein, especially if we meet the Prussians in three
or four days."
"Where did you leave him?"
"At Vienna, where he was organizing his volunteer regiment. We arranged
a meeting-place at Frankfort, my friend Karl von Freyberg having done me
the honour of wishing to serve under my orders."
"He tells me that he has as his lieutenant a Frenchman whom I know. Do
you know of whom he is speaking?"
"Yes; he met him at the King of Hanover's, where he went to pay his
respects; a young Frenchman called Benedict Turpin."
"Ah! yes," said Helen smiling, "he whom my brother-in-law wished me to
marry in gratitude for the sabre-cut he received from him."
"Fräulein," said Count Monte Nuovo, "these things are riddles to me."
"And a little to me also," said Helen; "I will explain to you." And she
told him what she knew of Frederic's duel with Benedict. She had
scarcely finished when some one simultaneously knocked and rang at the
door. Hans went to open it, and a voice asking for Madame von Beling,
and reaching her ears through all the closed doors between, made her
start.
"What is the matter, Fräulein?" asked Count Monte Nuovo. "You are quite
pale!"
"I recognize that voice!" exclaimed Helen.
At the same moment the door opened, and Hans appeared.
"Fräulein," said he, "it is Count Karl von Freyberg."
"Ah!" cried Helen, "I knew it! Where is he? What is he doing?"
"He is below in the dining-room, where he is asking Madame von Beling's
permission to pay his respects, to you."
"Do you recognize the gentleman in that?" asked Count Monte Nuovo.
"Another man would not even have asked for your grandmother, but have
flown straight to you."
"And I could have pardoned him." Then, in a louder voice. "Karl, dear
Karl!" she said. "This way!"
Karl came in and threw himself into Helen's arms, who pressed him to her
breast. Then, looking round him, he saw Count Monte Nuovo, and held out
his hand to him.
"Excuse me, count," said he, "for not having seen you before; but you
will readily understand that I had eyes for none but her. Is not Helen
as beautiful as I told you, count?"
"More beautiful," replied he.
"Oh! dear, dear Helen," cried Karl, falling on his knees and kissing her
hands.
Count Monte Nuovo began to laugh.
"My dear Karl," said he, "I arrived here an hour ago; I asked to be
quartered at Madame von Beling's, in order to be able to carry out my
commission. It was done as you knocked. I have nothing more to do here.
If I have forgotten anything, here you are, and you can supply it.
Fräulein, may I have the honour of kissing your hand?"
Helen held out her hand, looking at Karl as if for his permission, which
he gave with a nod. The count kissed Helen's hand, then that of his
friend, and went out.
The lovers gave a sigh of relief. Fate gave them, amid all the reverses
of their political fortunes, one of those rare moments which she grants
to those whom she favours most.
The news from the north was only too true. But all hope was not lost in
Vienna. The emperor, the Imperial Family, and the Treasury had retired
to Pest, and a desperate resistance was being prepared. On the other
hand, the cession of Venice to Italy gave liberty to a hundred and sixty
thousand men, as a reinforcement to the army in the north. It only
remained to revive the spirits of the soldiers by a victory, and it was
hoped that Count Alexander of Hesse would gain that victory. The battle
would take place in all probability in the outskirts of Frankfort. This
is why Karl had chosen to serve in the Prince of Hesse's army, and in
Count Monte Nuovo's brigade. There at least, he was sure that he should
see fighting. A second cousin of the Emperor Francis Joseph, brave and
courageous, he had every interest in risking his life for the House of
Austria, to which he belonged.
Helen devoured Karl with her eyes. His dress was that which she had seen
him wear every day when she met him going or returning from the hunt;
but, without one being able to be precise about it, there was something
more warlike about him; his expression was--somewhat more severe. One
felt that he was conscious of danger at hand, and in meeting it like a
man he met it as one who clung to life, yet who above his life put
honour.
During this time, Earl's little troop, whose second in command was
Benedict, bivouacked a hundred paces from the railway station, just
under the Burgomaster Fellner's windows. Not that they had anything to
complain of from the authorities. Karl had sold one of his estates, and
each of his men received a shilling every day for food. Each man was
armed with a good carbine, rifle-barrelled and able, like a quick-firing
gun, to fire eight or ten shots a minute. Each man also carried a
hundred cartridges, and, in consequence, the hundred men could fire ten
thousand shots. The two leaders carried double-barrelled carbines.
The burgomaster returning to the Hôtel de Ville, found in front of his
door the little detachment dressed in an unknown uniform. He stopped
with that naïve bourgeois curiosity which we call _flânerie_. After
staring at the soldiers he went on to their leader before whom he
stopped, not only with simple curiosity but astonishment. It seemed to
him that the face of the leader was not entirely unknown to him.
And in fact, the officer, smiling, asked in excellent German:
"May I enquire after Burgomaster Fellner's health?"
"Ah! heavens and earth!" cried the burgomaster, "I was not mistaken. It
is M. Benedict Turpin!"
"Bravo! I told you that your memory was unusually well developed. It
must be so to recognize me in this costume."
"But you have become a soldier?"
"An officer."
"An officer! I beg your pardon."
"Yes, an amateur officer."
"Come up to my house; you must be in need of refreshment, and your men
are thirsty. Aren't you, my friends?"
The men laughed.
"We are always more or less thirsty," one of them replied.
"Very well, I will send twenty-five bottles of wine and beer down to
you," said the burgomaster. "Come in, M. Benedict!"
"Remember that my eye is upon you from the window," said Benedict, "and
be careful."
"Be easy in your mind, captain," replied he who had spoken before.
"Madame Fellner," said the burgomaster on entering, "here is a captain
of volunteers who is quartered on us. We must give him a worthy
reception."
Madame Fellner, who was doing worsted work, raised her head and looked
at her guest. An expression resembling her husband's passed over her
face.
"Oh! it is surprising, my dear!" she cried, "how like this gentleman is
to a young French painter...."
"There!" said Fellner, "there is no need to keep your incognito. Pay
your respects to my wife, my dear Benedict; you are recognized."
Benedict held out his hand to Madame Fellner. As for the burgomaster, a
slave to his promise, he looked out amongst a bunch of keys that of the
cellar, and went down to choose the wine in which he wished Benedict's
men to drink his health. A few minutes after, shouts of "Long live the
burgomaster!" told that his wine was found to be of good quality.