Among other items of news that Zaklika gathered was this--that the next
day another masquerade was going to be given in the old market square.
There was not a day without either concert, opera or ballet, or some
kind of entertainment. Musicians brought from Italy, singers, and
composers, were so well selected that Dresden Theatre was the first in
Europe. Lotti was the musical composer; Tartini gave concerts; Santa
Stella was prima donna, Durastanti was called the princess of opera
singers; Senesino and Berselli were famous tenors; Aldrovandini painted
scenery; Bach was musical director.
Distractions were not lacking. The King himself, very often masked and
disguised, took part in these entertainments, for he was fond of
incident, and willingly bore the unpleasantness of such amusements. The
King sent round numerous orders, for he wanted to see the square
crowded. The preparations had commenced on the preceding night.
Zaklika arrived at Pillnitz at dawn, and found everybody sleeping; he
entered his room unperceived, and waited there until his mistress
should get up.
As soon as he noticed the windows of her chamber were open he began to
walk under them until the Countess had seen him, and went out to talk
with him.
Zaklika reported everything to her exactly, especially his conversation
with Lehman. He suggested that the best way would be to carry the money
and jewels to Dresden during the day, so as not to arouse any
suspicions. The heavy boxes would have required two or three men to
carry them; but Zaklika, being of extraordinary strength, could manage
them alone.
The Countess consented to everything. Horses hired by Zaklika were to
wait for them at dusk in the forest on the shore of the Elbe. He hoped
her departure would not be noticed before he reached Dresden, and that
they would be in Prussia before the pursuit commenced. Once on foreign
soil, Zaklika expected they would not be molested. Zaklika was hopeful
of accomplishing their escape, and he rejoiced at the thought, but when
Cosel told him that she would stop in Dresden and glance at the
masquerade, he turned pale.
"It cannot be," said he. "You would throw yourself into the lion's
jaws! They would recognize you, and then--"
Cosel shook her head.
"I want to, and it must be done," said she. "I must see him--it is not
a fancy, but a need, a medicine. I must look at them in order to shake
off the longing from me, and learn to despise the man whom I loved."
"But you expose yourself--"
"I know it," interrupted Cosel. "They could seize me and shut me in
Koenigstein or some other castle; they could kill me, but I must be
there. To defend my life I shall carry a weapon--the rest you must
leave to me."
Zaklika wrung his hands, but, knowing Cosel, said not a word more.
The Countess entered the house in order to pack what she wanted to give
him; Zaklika went to Gottlieb to tell him to have a carriage ready to
take different things to the Countess's children to Dresden. Happily
the German did not suspect anything. Zaklika chose a groom who was
stupid and not acquainted with Dresden. He himself put the boxes in the
van, covered them carefully, and they went on.
On the road, for further safety, he made the groom drunk, so that when
they came to the capital, he did not know by which streets they went.
At Lehman's house he opened the gate with the key the Jew had given
him, took down the boxes, and carried them into the banker's room. Not
a soul noticed him. When he returned to the van, the groom was asleep;
therefore he seized the reins and returned to Pillnitz.
In the meantime, Cosel was taking leave of Pillnitz, gathering her
things, writing her letters, and everything she was obliged to do in
such a way that none of the servants might see her doing it and betray
her before the time. Dinner was served at the usual hour, when at that
moment the Counts Friesen and Lagnasco came from Dresden, to make sure
of what she was doing.
Cosel had so much strength that she received them with almost a merry
mien and without betraying her secret. She pretended to be resigned to
her fate, to be occupied with her garden and house, and perfectly
indifferent to all that was going on in Dresden.
She played her _role_ so well, that the two gentlemen were perfectly
deceived. Count Friesen asked her to lend him quite a sum of money.
Cosel, smiling, said to him,--
"My dear Count, I am poorer than you would imagine. It is the King's
custom to take away that which he has given; at any moment I may lose
everything I possess. I am sorry, but I cannot help you."
Friesen accepted the excuse without being angry.
The guests, chatting about Court, amusements, the King, remained till
evening. Happily they were obliged to return for the masquerade, for
the King would not forgive them their absence, and they took their
leave and departed.
Dusk was beginning to fall, and the Countess, complaining of headache,
announced to the servants that she would retire very early. Zaklika
gave orders that everything should be quiet, and Cosel locked herself
in her chamber.
When darkness had completely fallen on the earth, Zaklika, armed with
pistols, rapped at the door leading into the garden. A figure dressed
in black slipped out and seized Zaklika's arm. They went towards the
Elbe, where they entered a boat together, and were soon flying down the
stream. In about a quarter of an hour they landed, and found a carriage
and four. In those adventurous times, no one was astonished at a woman
escaping at night.
Zaklika, having put Cosel into the carriage, sat beside the driver, and
they drove to Dresden, alighting at a certain hostelry where another
carriage was ready for them. Zaklika tried once more to persuade the
Countess to give up her plan of visiting the masquerade in the market
place; but she did not want to listen. He was obliged to put on a mask
and a domino and accompany her.
That day the streets were a scene of still greater animation. The
houses in the street leading to the castle were ornamented with flags
and tapestry and lighted with lanterns. The street was so crowded with
people, carriages, and litters that it was difficult to move about.
When they came to the market square, they found it thronged with
people. Music was playing in the galleries. Round the square stood
booths, in which ladies dressed in oriental costumes were selling toys,
drinks and dainties. Thousands of lamps threw their light on a
kaleidoscopic crowd of masks and dominoes. Singing, music, bells,
laughter, shouting--all contributed their quota to the general hubbub.
In the windows of the houses one could see overdressed women, and here
and there sombre figures of poor people, who were obliged to look on
from their miserable dwellings at this luxury and listen to the wild
outbursts of laughter.
At the end of the street, Cosel stopped--she had not strength to
advance further. Zaklika seized the opportunity and begged her to
return. Instead of answering, she moved forward, looking keenly around
her.
A few steps in front of her stood a _noble venitien_.
He wore a black hat with feathers, a black velvet dress, a small mask
and a golden chain. Around him swarmed many masques.
Cosel recognized Augustus--Hercules and Apollo that he was, there was
no mistaking him. She hesitated for a moment--then went up to him.
Although her dark domino disguised her well, it could not entirely
conceal her identity from any one who knew her well. The King glanced
at her and shivered, but did not wish to believe his own eyes.
Cosel passed him casually several times. Augustus drew towards her and
made as if he would speak to her, but fear held him back. She
challenged him with a look, and he went up to her.
The conversation began in French; the Countess changed her voice, which
was trembling. Augustus did not take that trouble, and began to look at
her attentively.
"Upon my honour," said he, "beautiful mask, I flatter myself that I
know every one of you here, but--"
"You do not know me."
"And do you know who I am?"
"Yes, I know you."
"Who, then, am I?"
Her voice trembled, then the words flew straight to his ear,--
"An executioner."
The King drew himself up haughtily.
"A bad joke," said he.
"No, an honest truth!"
"If you know who I am," said he, "but dare to speak that way to me,
then I would say that I too know who you are; but it cannot be."
"No, you do not know me," said Cosel, laughing.
"That is what I think. You cannot be the one whom I take you for, for
that one would not dare to come here without my permission."
"A woman would not dare to come here?" said Cosel. "A woman would ask
your permission?"
And she laughed.
The King shivered, as if he recognized the laugh; he seized her hand,
but she withdrew it quickly.
"Beautiful mask," said Augustus, "you perplex me, and you pretend to
know me."
"No, I do not know you," answered Cosel. "Some time ago I knew somebody
who resembled you; but that one had a noble heart and the soul of a
hero, while you--"
The King became angry.
"Mask," cried he, "this surpasses the limits of carnival freedom."
"The freedom is boundless."
"Then go on," said the King, "and I?"
"You?"
Cosel's voice failed her for a moment, then she proceeded,--
"If you are not an executioner, then you are a plaything in the hands
of your executioners."
"Cosel!" cried Augustus, seizing her hand.
"No, no!" she cried, pulling away her hand and laughing ironically
behind the mask. "How could she be here and suffer to look at her
funeral banquet? I have seen the woman whose name you have pronounced.
There is nothing in common between her and me. Cosel is killed and
buried by her wicked enemies, while I am alive."
The King listened gloomily. Suddenly Cosel drew near to him and
whispered a few words into his ear, and, before Augustus could overcome
his surprise, she had disappeared.
The King wanted to follow her, but she, protected by Zaklika, vanished
in the crowd and hurried behind the booths. Here she turned her black
mantle, which was lined with red, and then went back into the square
from another side. She went straight to where she expected to meet the
Countess Denhoff.
There were three booths opposite the town hall. In one of them,
ornamented in the Neapolitan aqua-fresca style, was sitting the
Countess Pociej; beside her stood Count Friesen with a guitar, the
Countess Bielinska, disguised as a Venetian lady, and the Countess
Denhoff in a Neapolitan costume, glittering with precious stones. She
was a little woman, with a withered face and painted cheeks. Her booth
was surrounded by young men, among whom the most conspicuous was the
French ambassador, Besenval, who was making her laugh with his
witticisms.
Cosel succeeded in getting a good view of her. The Countess Denhoff,
under the influence of her intent look, shivered. Cosel stretched out
her beautiful hand for a glass of the lemonade which Denhoff was
selling.
"Beautiful lady," said Cosel, "have pity on me, I am thirsty--I do not
ask for alms, for I know that you ask to be paid well for everything."
She showed a gold piece of money.
Denhoff, as if she guessed a threat, handed her a glass of lemonade
with trembling hand.
"One word more," said Cosel, drawing near. "Look at me!"
Having said this, she took off her mask in such a way that only Denhoff
could see her.
"Look at me, and remember my face; it is the face of a foe whose curses
will follow the inconstant coquette to the grave. Look at me; I am the
same of whom you were afraid, whom you wanted to imprison, whom you
robbed of the King's heart, who will curse you day and night. Remember
that you shall meet a worse lot than I. I go away pure, innocent,
betrayed; you will go from here soiled, without honour, an outcast of
the outcasts. I wanted to see you and tell you that I know the
blackness of your character."
Denhoff was frightened, and began to faint. There was a great
disturbance round the booth; the King rushed to it; but Cosel escaped
adroitly and disappeared with Zaklika up a side street.
They heard behind them a tumult of voices, the wave of crowding people
shouting and soldiers calling. Zaklika had his pistols ready. Cosel
walked swiftly in front of him. The noise grew fainter. Knowing the
streets well, Zaklika was able to conduct Cosel safely to the gate of
the city. Unhappily, before they reached it, there came an order to
close it and not let any woman pass.
Having learned this, Zaklika led Cosel to Lehman's house. They found
the banker at home, sitting quietly with his family. Both entered
quietly, and Zaklika asked for men's clothes for Cosel. Lehman gave him
a black mantle and an old hat, and, shivering with fear, he let them
out by the back door. In the street they met a detachment of soldiers.
The officers were dismounted, and walking in the street. Zaklika took
the Countess's arm and led her along the middle of the street. Cosel
dropped her head, and covered her face with the brim of her hat.
When they came near the soldiers, some of them looked at them
attentively, but did not stop them. They overheard the conversation of
the officers, who said,--
"Has somebody stolen the most precious jewel?"
"Ha! ha! ha! They seek Cosel, who avenged herself on the King."
"Cosel! but she does not exist now."
"They are still afraid of her."
"When Teschen fell into disgrace, nobody thought of her any more, but
Cosel still rules, for they shiver at the mere mention of her name."
The others laughed.
An hour later a carriage rolled towards the Prussian frontier. Cosel
was thinking of her last adventures, while Zaklika, sitting beside the
driver, listened to hear if they were being pursued; but they were
looking for Cosel in Dresden and Pillnitz.