THE MARRIAGE
"Now," said Marianne, next evening, "I will read again in the journal.
Are you ready, children?"
And she glanced around the little group.
There were the twins with their tent stitch, Carl with his pencil and
drawing book, Bettina with her knitting.
Marianne smiled and settled herself most importantly.
"Carl," she said, "bring another candle. Elsa, will you please draw
closer the window curtain, and Bettina, child, sit nearer the light.
Now, ready?"
"Our Princess," began the journal, "was married last night, Christmas
Eve, in this year of 1793. When mother lit our tree and my sister
Clarechen's children, Franz and Wolfgang, were clapping their little
hands in joy, Ludwig lifted his hand.
"'Our Crown Prince has a wife now,' he said, and glanced at the clock.
"Baron von Sternberg, an old friend of my father's, came to-day to see
mother and told us all that happened last night, for he was at the
wedding.
"He said that our new Crown Princess was most beautiful in white with a
crown of sparkling diamonds that the Queen herself had placed on her
lovely golden head. Before she was married, the widow of the Great
Frederick gave her a blessing, the blessing of an old woman, she said.
Then came the wedding in the Ritter Saal. The altar was beneath a
baldachin of purple velvet embroidered in crowns of gold, and hundreds
of candles made a splendid light. Oh, how I should love to have seen all
the velvets and jewels and the fine ladies with powdered hair and the
men with their clothes of fine velvet!
"I long for the Court, and because of my father's fine position, I could
go there, but my mother will not have it.
"No, she says, it is wicked there. Our King is too gay, and she told me
a sad story of the Countess von Voss, the lady I saw in the procession,
and who, it seems, is mother's old friend from girlhood. This lady went
to Court very young and the King's brother fell in love with her, and it
was all so unfortunate, for he must marry a Princess, and the Countess,
her cousin.
"But the wedding.
"Ober-Consistorial Rath Sack performed the ceremony, for he had both
baptised and confirmed our Crown Prince. The Berliners wished a fine
illumination, but the Crown Prince would not have it.
"'Nay, nay, good Berliners,' he said, 'give the money to the widows and
orphans of the soldiers killed in the war with France.'
"Ludwig says that he is much worried over the debts of his father, the
King, who is jolly and beloved of the people, but who spends everything
he can lay his hands on.
"After the wedding came the polonaise. It is an old custom and takes
place at the marriage of every Prussian Crown Prince.
"The pages first bring in torches and present them to eighteen
ministers of state. Then trumpets sound, the royal family rise from the
semi-circle in which they sit under a baldachin, the Lord Chamberlain
gives a signal, and the dance begins, all in the light of the torches
the performers bear with them.
"The Baron said that it was most enchanting. The King danced with our
new Crown Princess, the Crown Prince with the Queen and the widow of
Frederick the Great. Round they marched to the pretty polonaise step at
the corner of the room, dividing and changing partners, the torches
blazing, and oh, the lords and ladies so fine and grand!
"To-day is Christmas, and I was in the old Cathedral, and who should
come in but the Crown Prince and Princess? They seem so in love with
each other that it is beautiful to see. And they are most religious.
"As we were coming home from church we met Monsieur de Paillot. He told
us something which filled me with the greatest joy.
"Our King was not quite pleased with the wedding.
"'There were too many embroidered coats,' he said, 'at the second we
will have a few commoners.'
"And so the Berliners can go to the wedding of Prince Ludwig and
Princess Frederika, and my Ludwig will take me. Oh, what happiness, for
I shall see our Crown Princess in her robes and her diamonds.
"The dress I wore to the wedding was most beautiful. A young French girl
designed it with the taste and skill of her nation. It was made for a
great ball at which I am to be introduced to society, but mother bade me
wear it to Court.
"It was of white tissue, and above the hem of my flowing skirt was
embroidered a border of fleur-de-lys in purple and gold. My kerchief was
fine as a web and edged with rare lace, and for the first time my hair
was raised high and powdered. Mother finished my joy by clasping about
my throat a necklace of purple stones.
"'Your dear father gave them to me when I was a bride,' she said with a
sigh, for it is but two years since we lost him.
"'Lovely!' cried my sister Clarechen when she saw me, but Ludwig
frowned.
"'Why French flowers?' he asked, his eyes on the fleur-de-lys. Ludwig
sees all things. 'Why not something German and blue?' he asked with
great discontent.
"Ludwig is very strange in some ways. For one thing, he will not speak
French, like all well-bred people.
"'I am a German,' he will say, 'why not speak my own language?'
"And he calls mother 'Frau,' and not 'Madame,' and me 'Fraeulein,' and
all my notes to him must be written in German, and German is so hard,
not beautiful, like French, and he scolds me when I make more than a
dozen mistakes in my articles: _die, der, das_.
"But my dress, my lovely, lovely dress!
"It might have been blue, or red, or any colour, for all that it
mattered. The crowd was so great no one looked at poor little Erna von
Bergman, and next day she spent hours darning a great rent in her skirt.
"But I have seen our Crown Princess, and she smiled right at me, so what
else matters? No one could behead her as the French did Marie
Antoinette; no, not even for liberty.
"She was in white and wore a crown of sparkling diamonds. The Crown
Prince looked at her as if he adored her. He is very earnest and grave,
she, very bright and gay. There is great love between them, I can see
that, because of my own love for my Ludwig.
"I saw our King at the wedding, and he was most amusing. Of late years
he has grown very stout, and because of his increased size he found it
difficult indeed to pass through the room with his arm laden with the
widow of Frederick the Great, our Queen Dowager.
"The crowd could not help punching him with their elbows.
"Think of it! Even Ludwig nudged our King!
"But he was not the least angry.
"He winked, actually winked, and then called out in his merry, jolly
way:
"'Don't be shy, my children. The wedding father can have no more room
to-day than the guests.'
"The Berliners were delighted.
"Our King is a great favourite because of his jokes and his calling the
people 'Children.'
"But Ludwig does not admire him. He says one should weep to think of
such a man wearing the crown of the Great Elector, or Frederick the
Great, that he is like Charles II of England. He believes much in
spirits and has mediums and such people always about him. But he is very
benevolent and gives to the poor.
"Oh, it was fine at the wedding! I saw all the great people of the
Court, and how I longed to be one of them and live in such splendour!
But with torn dress and tired feet I came home to our humble dwelling.
At least, it isn't so humble--mother would frown at such a word--but one
says that when one goes to Court, where all is the grandest....
* * * * *
"I have decided to always put down what I hear of our Crown Princess,
how the King loves her, and how our Crown Prince forgets his sad nature
when he is with one so happy and gay, and all that the Berliners talk
about."
Here Marianne paused and turned over some pages.
"I will skip," she announced, "because all on these pages is about other
things. To-day I have read it all and have marked only that which will
interest you."
"There are many things we hear of our Crown Princess," she then read.
"She and the Crown Prince play many pranks upon the Countess von Voss,
who loves etiquette and ceremony above all things. But that is on the
surface; in her heart she adores the Crown Prince and the Princess
Louisa, who is now like her daughter. As for them, they are full of
mischief.
"All Berlin just now is talking of how our Crown Prince and Princess say
'thou' and not 'you' to each other, according to our sweet German custom
of making a difference between friends and strangers.
"The Court, when this report spread, cried out in horror. It was not
according to French etiquette.
"The King commanded his son before him.
"'What is this I hear?' he demanded, 'that you call the Crown Princess
"thou"?'
"'You hear it upon good grounds,' answered our Crown Prince, with his
slow, good-humoured smile, 'when a man says "_du_" (_thou_) the person
to whom he speaks knows whom is being spoken to, but when I say "_sie_"
(in German written "_Sie_" for "_you_,"--"_sie_" for "_they_") who can
know whether I say it with a capital letter, or not?'
"From the beginning our Crown Prince had objected to the formal
etiquette which Frederick the Great imposed upon our Prussian Court. He
longs always to have his home life free from formality.
"'I desire with all my heart,' said he, 'to live as a plain person and
not as a royal one.'
"One evening the Crown Princess returned from a feast, and ridding
herself of her finery, ran like a girl to her husband.
"Clasping her hands, he gazed in her wonderful eyes.
"'Thank God,' he said, 'thou art again my wife.'
"The Crown Princess' silvery laugh rang through the room.
"'What?' she cried, 'am I not that always?'
"The Crown Prince shook his head with an air of sad discontent.
"'No,' he said, 'thou must so often be Crown Princess.'
"The Countess von Voss thought it her duty to bring this lively pair to
order.
"'You do not please me,' she said one day to the Crown Prince. 'French
etiquette rules all Europe, and I, as Court Mistress of Ceremonies, must
lecture your Royal Highness for seeking the Crown Princess without
announcement.'
"The Prince made a face and looked as if he were going to be
stubborn.--I heard all this from Baron von Sternberg.--Then suddenly
inspired by a secret thought, he laughed.
"'Good!' he cried like a penitent boy, 'dear Voss, I will reform. So
have the kindness to announce me to my wife and ask if I may have the
honour of speaking with her Royal Highness, the Crown Princess, and
express my hope that she will graciously grant it.'
"The good Countess beamed her approval.
"Now, indeed, was the wayward young man behaving as he should.
"With dignified steps she sought the apartment of the Princess, and was
beginning the announcement when a laugh interrupted her.
"The Crown Prince, laughing as hard as he could, sat on the couch with
his arm around his wife.
"Jumping up, he seated the Countess between them. Then he took her hand
and spoke quite decidedly.
"'See, dear Voss,' said he, 'I hurried in another way to show you that
my wife and I see each other unannounced and quite as often as we will.
That, in my opinion, is the only Christian fashion for married people,
Royal or commoners. You are our charming Court Mistress,' the Crown
Princess gave her one of her enchanting smiles, 'but Louisa and I have
made up a name for you. You are now to be Dame Etiquette.' And all
Berlin now calls her that.
"Dame Etiquette arranged a drive for the Crown Prince, the Princess, and
herself, only last week, the Baron says. She insisted on a grand
carriage, with bodyguard in costume. Above all the Royal pair hated
this, but Dame Etiquette firmly commanded the equipage and arrayed in
state she seats herself, at the Royal command, to await the others.
"The Crown Prince, coming out, gave a low order to the coachman, and off
drove Dame Etiquette alone in the splendid state carriage, and behind
her the naughty laughing Prince and Princess in a plain two-horse affair
like commoners. All eyes were fixed on her, and Louisa and Fritz had as
good a time as if they were not Royal.
"It seems strange to me how we long to be grand like princes and all
they want is to be like us.
* * * * *
"Yesterday was our Crown Princess' birthday. All Berlin has made much of
it, but in the palace it was grandly celebrated with a fine masquerade
ball.
"All Berlin talks of what happened in the palace. When Princess Louisa
came to the King for her birthday kiss he embraced her like a real
father and said: 'You are the Princess of Princesses, my Louisa.'
"Then a company of Court ladies and gentlemen appeared before her, all
arrayed as citizens of Oranienburg. One made a fine speech and presented
her with a key.
"'Of our castle,' they said. 'You are to be its mistress.'
"Then, amid the excitement, the King explained that he gave her the gift
of this castle for a summer residence.
"Ludwig told me that the wife of the Great Elector, another Louisa,
lived there, and so it is very fitting that our Crown Princess have it
because of her name.
"The King gave our Crown Princess another gift.
"At the ball he said quite suddenly to her:
"'Princess of Princesses, if you had a handful of gold, what wish would
you grant yourself?'
"'I should make happy the poor of Berlin,' answered the birthday child.
"'How large, then, must the handful be, Princess of Princesses?' asked
the King with a smile.
"'As big as the heart of the best king in the world,' answered our Crown
Princess, her eyes dancing.
"And now we hear that because of this clever answer Berlin is to have a
fine new charity.
"Ludwig says it would be much better if our King paid his debts, but I
like our King, and so do the people."
Marianne skipped a little.
"Our Crown Prince has gone to Poland. We hear much of a brave man called
Kosciusko, but Prussia rejoices that at last we have defeated him.
* * * * *
"To-day seventy-two guns sounding from the palace informed us that our
dear Crown Princess has a son. We are glad, indeed, for she lost her
first little daughter, who never lived a day.
* * * * *
"For godparents our new Prince has the Queen, the widow of Frederick the
Great, the Prince and Princess Henry, Prince and Princess Ferdinand, and
the Crown Princess' father. His name is Frederick William, for the King,
who held him during the ceremony, when the same clergyman who baptised
his father gave him his name.
"Our Crown Princess is more beloved than ever and now all Berlin
rejoices over her son.
"As for me, Ludwig will have it that we marry in a year. I will then be
sixteen and two years older than mother was when she was a bride. There
is much to do. I must fill my wedding chest with linen and all things
for my house."
* * * * *
"Our Crown Prince has bought a country home at Paretz. He and our Crown
Princess long for a simple life. We hear much talk of what happens
there, how they ramble in the woods, seek wild flowers, have supper
under the trees and spend their days very happily.
"Our Crown Princess calls herself 'Gnaedige Frau von Paretz (the Gracious
Lady of Paretz), and takes part in all the village festivities. One
evening all the villagers came in costume and announced that they would
have a dance on the green. Our Crown Princess led the whole Court to
take part. The village fiddler played, the peasants danced, and all was
as merry as possible.
"But suddenly the Crown Princess had an idea.
"She ordered the castle thrown open, the Court musicians summoned, and
all went in to dance on the fine polished floors.
"When Monsieur de Paillot heard this he shook his head.
"'Marie Antoinette played at being dairymaid, n'est-ce-pas?' and he
looked as if we intended to turn revolutionists and cut off the head of
our dear Crown Princess just for pleasure.
"Old General Roeckeritz, the friend of the Crown Prince, is much at
Paretz, and Berlin tells a story of him also.
"He had a way of leaving the table the moment the meal was at an end.
"No one could imagine what he did with himself, and it worried the
Gnaedige Frau von Paretz to have him leave her.
"'Let him alone,' said her husband, 'he is old and wants his comfort.'
"But our Crown Princess was not satisfied.
"Next day at the end of dinner she appeared with a tray on which were
cigars and a lighted taper. The whole company gazed at her in surprise,
the general, as usual, trying to escape.
"With a smile the Crown Princess detained him, presenting her tray.
"'No, no, dear Roeckeritz,' she said, 'do not go away. To-day you must
have your dessert with us.'
"The old general was enchanted. Now he need not sit alone to enjoy his
cigar."
Marianne, pausing, began to turn over pages.
"There is so much, children, I can't read it all. Besides, it is sad.
The Princess Frederika loses her husband, the widow of Frederick the
Great dies, and so does the King. Then the Queen has a second little
son. His name is Frederick William Louis, but you know who he is, our
Prince William. He was the tiniest little babe, it says here. But you
must hear how good our Queen is. 'I am Queen,' she wrote to her
grandmother, 'and what rejoices me most is that I need no longer
economise in my charities.'
"The citizens of Berlin at once, when she became Queen, waited upon
her," read Marianne. "The Queen made them welcome and said: 'It gives me
great pleasure to know you. The good will of my Prussian subjects and of
you will never be forgotten. It shall be my aim to hold that love, for
the love of his subjects is the best crown of a King. With joy I embrace
this opportunity to know my citizens better.'
"To Roeckeritz the King said:
"'My blessed uncle, Frederick the Great, has said that a treasure is the
basis and prop of the Prussian states. We have now nothing but debts. I
shall be as economical as possible.'
"Then did he propose to continue, as King, to live upon the income he
had made suffice as Crown Prince?
"'The debts of my father,' said he very earnestly, 'must be paid by
industry, discipline and economy.'
"Ludwig," wrote Erna, "is much pleased with all this, but he hopes the
King will not forget that France is not yet at the end of her troubles.
There is talk of a young man named Napoleon Bonaparte, who is the hope
now of France. They say he will right everything.
"There are many stories told about our new King and his hatred of
ceremony. I will write them to amuse myself. My wedding will not be
quite so soon. I am not well and it is best for me now not to work. I do
not know what is my trouble, but I cough and do not sleep well at nights
and all are very, very kind to me.
"Now for the stories of the King.
"Immediately after the death of the late King, the Chamberlain threw
open both folding doors for the entrance of Frederick William. One had
been enough for him when he was Crown Prince.
"'Am I,' he asked in his whimsical way, 'in a moment grown so much that
one door will not do for me?'
"When the chef added two more dishes to the bill of fare, with a smile
he remarked to his wife: 'It is easy to see that they believe that since
yesterday I have received a larger stomach.'
"According to a custom established by Frederick the Great, two
Lieutenant-Generals always stood at the Royal table, and, with the Court
Marshal, waited until the King first should drink.
"When Frederick William saw them standing like posts at his board he
waved his hand toward chairs, inviting them to be seated.
"'We cannot be seated, your Majesty,' they answered with great dignity.
"'Why not?'
"'Your Majesty must first drink.'
"'And what must I drink?' inquired William, smiling and gazing at the
glasses.
"'It is not stated, your Majesty.'
"The King seized a glass of water and drank it standing.
"'Now sit,' cried he in relief, as if he thought it all foolishness.
"Soon after the Crown Princess became Queen she went with her husband on
a journey through his realm. It was the first time that a King of
Prussia had taken his Queen with him so far from Berlin, and Ludwig says
the people were delighted.
"Baron von Sternberg comes in now and then to see mother, and he is
always full of court gossip. At Stargard, in Pomerania, he says, the
King reviewed the troops and then the Queen started towards Custrin. At
one of the villages the people surrounded the royal carriage and begged
our Queen to alight and have some refreshment they had prepared.
"At once she left the carriage and went right into their houses, seeing
their children and talking with the villagers.
"They were delighted, the Baron said.
"At Dantzic there were great ceremonies, and the amber workers gave the
Queen a most lovely necklace. We hear that she wore it all the time she
was in that city. As the Queen loves the country, she made many
excursions. One was to Karlsberg, and now they will always call the spot
where she stood 'Louisa's Grove.'
"It would take too long to tell everything, how the Queen stayed a week
in the old palace at Koenigsberg, and the people, to please her Majesty,
who always loves to do good, gave a great dinner to the poor, and
everywhere she stepped flowers were strewn before her. So in love with
our Queen were the people of Koenigsberg, that a large body of citizens
insisted on going with her to Warsaw. As they were going down a steep
hill, because of the carelessness of the coachman, our Queen's carriage
was overturned. The Countess von Voss, declaring him to be drunk,
reproved him very sharply. But our Queen can never stand seeing people
unhappy. She touched the Countess on the arm. 'Thank God, we are not
hurt,' she said, 'let it pass over quietly, for the accident has
frightened our people much more than it has us; let us not add to their
troubles.'
"But how delighted Berlin is over the Queen's reception in Warsaw I
cannot write. Ludwig has explained to me that the Poles do not love
Prussia, who has conquered them, but they forgot all their hatred and
received our King and Queen with cheers, flags, and much waving of
handkerchiefs. And fifty Polish girls in white, with wreaths on their
heads and baskets in their hands, walked before their Majesties,
strewing flowers. And at a village sixteen Polish girls greeted her with
a song. Everywhere there were processions. For myself, I should tire of
so many, but the Baron says that our dear Queen loves gaiety and she
loves her people and smiles are always on her face and kind greetings on
her lips.
"As she talks she waves a little fan, fast if she is merry, slow if she
is thoughtful or sad. Ludwig brought me one of the fans now the fashion
in Berlin. They are small and all young ladies have them. There is a
picture of the King and Queen on them, and 'Long live Frederick William
and Louisa,' as an inscription.
"Mine is blue and the pictures have gold frames about them."
"But I must not forget the Queen's journey. At Breslau there was a great
procession of market gardeners and butchers, and there came a young girl
with a poem in her hand to welcome our Queen. But, alas, she could not
speak for bashfulness. And what did our good Queen do but smile on her
and hold out her Royal hand to encourage her?"
"And such presents as our Queen received!"
"There is now a new Princess. Her name is Charlotte, and the people of
Breslau gave her all her clothes, most beautifully embroidered."
"As the Queen's carriage passed through the country it had to have fresh
horses, and the villagers dressed up their manes with ribbons, put red
nets over their ears and adorned their heads with flowers and gold and
silver paper, this being the custom among the peasants, and it amused
the Queen greatly."
"In June our Queen came home, and now we often see her in the
Thiergarten, arm in arm with the King, walking quite simply like
every-day people."
"Mother went last week to pay a visit to the Countess von Voss, and she
told her something I shall write here.
"The first Queen of Prussia lived in the palace at Charlottenburg, and
her portrait hangs there with many others. One is that of the wife of
our Great Elector. Her name was Louisa, like our Queen, who feels a
great love for her.
"'Her face,' she told the Countess, 'seems to greet me with a heavenly
smile.' The Countess wrote it in the journal she keeps and writes in
each morning. 'I look upon it until I feel that there must be a living
bond of sympathy between us.'
"This Louisa, history tells us, had much trouble, and once with her
children was forced to flee before an enemy. All that our Queen
discussed with the Countess.
"'But oh!' she exclaimed--I can shut my eyes and picture her as she said
it--'what must have been her happiness in finding that she could help
and comfort her husband in the hours of his heavy trial!'
"But our Queen is not to flee before an enemy, for our King alone in
Europe keeps the peace."
"But she did, Mariechen," interrupted Ilse.
"I met her in the snow," said Bettina, her blue eyes filling.
Marianne nodded.
"Our Aunt Erna could not know that," she said, and continued the
reading.
"Our Queen has three children now, and all Berlin says what a good
mother she is, very often in her nursery. Every morning she and the King
go in and kiss each child, and as they grow old enough our King sends a
basket of fruit to each one every morning. And now they begin to give
parties for the Crown Prince."
"Yes, indeed," interrupted Marianne, "when we lived in Berlin the Royal
children had many entertainments. Once the little daughter of the
famous Madame de Stael was there. She is a writer, children, and she has
written a fine book about us Germans. Her little girl is not so good as
her books," laughed Marianne, "but very spoilt and very rude, and what
do you think she did at the Royal party?"
The children shook their heads.
"She boxed the Crown Prince's ears."
"Oh!" Carl's eyes grew round in horror.
"Ja," said Marianne, "she did, and the Crown Prince ran to the Queen and
buried his face in her dress, but nothing anyone could say would make
little Mademoiselle de Stael apologise. But she was never asked again to
even one of the masquerades, balls or plays. At Christmas they had
always a tree and our dear Queen decorated and dressed it herself, and
there were dances and jugglers, and once at Paretz they had a lottery
for all the children. I was there with our father and when a child did
not draw a prize, our Queen, with one of her lovely smiles, gave a
present herself."
Then she returned to the journal.
"At Paretz, our Queen's country home, all ceremony is laid aside. The
King will be called 'Schulze' (magistrate) and they join in all the
sports and dances of the people who live there.
"But our Queen loves to be grand, also, and there was once in Berlin a
fine masquerade in her honour, a play where girls represented cocoons,
and at her approach untwisted themselves from their wrappings and danced
out butterflies. And once there was a fine play representing the
marriage of Queen Mary of England and Philip of Spain. Our Queen was
Mary and many people think it a bad omen, for this Queen was so unhappy
and lost Calais to the English. The Duke of Sussex was Philip. But there
are people who do not love our Queen. Colonel York is one. He came
yesterday to pay his respects to mother and he said horrid things, that
our Queen's hands are too big and her feet not well made. Ludwig says
this is because she has influence over the King and because she will
have a well-behaved Court. Colonel York says she does not treat the
military with proper respect.
* * * * *
"It is again May, and our Queen has gone on another journey. To-day we
visited Peacock Island, where she lives so happily in the chateau built
like a ruined Roman villa. I saw the very rooms of our Queen, and the
menagerie, and heard from Ludwig and the Baron, who was with us, how
happy our King is when he can throw off affairs of state and come 'home'
to Peacock Island."
"Yes," interrupted Marianne, "we used to hear a great deal about Peacock
Island when we lived in Berlin before this awful war. Once Bishop Eylert
was sitting beneath the trees with our King and Queen and her Majesty
inquired of a servant where the children were.
"'Playing in a meadow, Majesty,' said the attendant.
"Our Queen jumped up in the way she does and cried out that she would go
to them and surprise them.
"Our King agreed, and they all three got into a boat and the King rowed
them up the Havel, which, you know, makes the Island.
"Suddenly the boat appeared before the children. 'Where did you come
from, papa?' cried our Crown Prince in surprise.
"'Through the reeds and rushes,' answered our King.
"'Amongst reeds is good whistle cutting,' said our Crown Prince quick as
a flash.
"And then our King asked him what that proverb means, and he answered
that it means that a wise man knows how to take advantage of
circumstances. Then our King wanted to know if he were in the rushes,
what whistle he would cut, and the Crown Prince said he wished they
could all have tea together there on the meadow."
"And did they?" inquired Carl, who was very fond of picnics.
"Ja," answered Marianne, "and it was lovely, with our Queen helping them
and laughing, and their father teasing and telling stories."
"I know a story, too," said Carl. "Mr. Jackson told me."
"Tell it," begged the twins. "Go on, Carlchen."
"Two Englishmen went to Peacock Island," said
Carl, puffing out his words in his eager importance. "They had no right
to go and they went. An officer ran them away. But they met a lady and a
gentleman. It was our King and Queen. They made them stay and they
showed them everything, and the Englishmen did not know that it was our
King and Queen. My story is best, ja, Mariechen; isn't it, Bettina?"
Marianne nodded.
"But now, let us read," she said.
"Peacock Island has also a palm house, and there are many peacocks and
doves and pigeons, of which our Queen is so fond.
* * * * *
"Our Queen is so good to all children.
"'The children's world is my world,' she says, and she is always being
kind to some child, and when she and the King drive out she will salute
the people with smiles long after he is tired and stops it.
"Often I think of what our poets have said of her. She is one of four
sisters. One is our Princess Louisa; another, Theresa, is the Princess
of Thurn and Taxis; and the third, Charlotte, is the Duchess of
Sachsen-Hildburghausen. Our great poet, Jean Paul Richter, called them
'the four noble and beautiful sisters on the throne.' And famous Wieland
said of our Louisa, 'Were I the King of Fate, she should be Queen of
Europe.' And Goethe," Marianne rolled her voice and the twins giggled,
"who was with the Duke of Weimar in camp and saw our Queen and her
sister, Frederika, when, as princesses, they came to visit their
betrothed with their grandmother, from his tent, wrote in his journal
that they were visions of loveliness which should never fade from his
memory. And she has set the Berlin young girls a fine example in dress.
Ludwig is delighted. She wears very simple muslins, and, indeed, why
should she waste her time over silks and brocades when white so suits
her?"
Marianne here stopped in her reading.
"Go on, Mariechen," said Carl, the other three looking up in surprise.
"That is all, children. Our dear Aunt Erna died the month before she was
to marry Cousin Ludwig. But there are stories I can tell you, which have
happened since our dear Aunt Erna died.
"Once on a journey she arrived at the place where they were to eat, a
long time before her husband. They entreated her to eat, as the meal was
ready, but, 'No, I will not eat until my husband comes,' she said. 'It
is the duty of every wife to wait for her husband.'
"And once, children, our dear Queen, when she was gay and happy, and not
sad as now, came to Memel on a visit, and the Czar was here and they had
oh! such feasts. Uncle Joachim has told me about it, and when the next
baby came she was called Alexandrina, because of her mother and father's
great friendship for Alexander. Uncle told me another story. Once the
treasurer told our Queen that she gave too much money to the poor, and
said that he must speak to the King.
"'Do so,' said our Queen; 'he will not be angry.' And she was right, for
when she opened her writing case she found her purse full of gold, and
the King laughed and told her that a fairy had placed it there.
"And once, when the Countess von Voss was angry with a poor woman for
making a mistake and sitting in the Royal pew, our dear Queen sent for
her and told her how sorry she was. Oh, children, I could talk all night
of her, she is so good and so kind to everybody. Once she made a grand
lord wait until she could talk with a poor shoemaker who had come first,
because, she said, the shoemaker's time was valuable and the lord's was
not.
"Once our King came to breakfast with our Queen and saw a new cap lying
on the table.
"'What does that cost?' he asked the Queen.
"'It is not good for men to ask the cost of ladies' things,' answered
the Queen, with a laugh.
"'But I should like to know,' insisted the King.
"'Only four thalers.'
"'Only! For that thing?'
"Then the King ran to the window and called in an old invalid soldier
who was taking his air.
"'The lady who sits on that sofa has much gold,' he said, and pointed to
our Queen. 'What do you think, old comrade, she gave for that thing on
the table?'
"'Perhaps, sire, a groschen.'
"'You hear that?' asked our King. 'She has paid four thalers. Now, go
ask her to give you twice as much!'
"With a smile the Queen paid the money, and then said: 'Now, see that
gentleman who stands by the window? He has four times as much gold as I
have. All that I have he gives me, and it is much. Go to him, then, and
ask for double eight thalers.' So, you see, children," laughed Marianne,
"our King got the worst of it.
"I could tell you many other stories, but it is bedtime. I have let you
sit up late, very late, and I can only tell one more, and then to bed.
Franz, Wolfgang, and I were once in the Christmas Markt. We were
choosing our gifts, when the crowd moved back for a gentleman with a
lady on his arm. It was our King and Queen, and they came straight to
one booth where a poor woman was buying her gifts. At once she tried to
get out of the way. But our Queen stopped her with a smile. 'Remain, my
good woman,' she cried; 'what shall this merchant say if we drive away
his customers?' Then she asked the poor woman all about her family, and
when she heard that she had a boy just the age of the Crown Prince she
bought a lovely toy for her boy to send to the poor one. Now, wasn't
that good in her? And is it not fine that she is here in Memel and we
can know her? As for Napoleon, he is wicked to cause her such trouble."
"I hate him," said little Carl, his cheeks puffing and his face becoming
quite red.
"Yes, yes," cried the twins; "we hate him."
But Bettina looked eagerly at Marianne.
"Gracious, Fraeulein," she said, "when will Frederick Barbarossa awake? I
am always telling the ravens."
Before Marianne could reply Carl jumped from his seat, the twins started
up in fright.
A sharp knock had sounded on the window.
"What is it, sister?" And the twins ran to Marianne.
At that moment the Professor came in at the door.
"Nonsense," he said; "who could be at our window?"
But the children insisted.
"We heard it, father," they said.
The Professor, crossing the room, opened the sash, the children
following.
On the window lay a piece of folded paper.
His face full of amazement, the Professor brought it to the candles.
The writing was in German, and the letters like those of a person who
wrote very seldom.
"Your son, the Herr Lieutenant, has escaped and is in hiding.
Put money and food on the window to-night and it will be
fetched to him. It is not safe to say more.
"ONE YOU KNOW."
"One you know," repeated the Professor. Then his eyes scanned the
writing and he shook his head.
"Grandfather writes that way," said Bettina, her eyes all afire.
Before anyone could stop her Elsa cried out in surprise:
"Why, Bettina," she said, "your grandfather can't write. A soldier
brought news to the King that he is dead."