"H'm!" said the emperor, taking the paper from John's hand and contemplating it attentively, "it is written quite laconically indeed. But, no matter, you have complied with my order and done your duty.""I thank your majesty for this acknowledgment. And now that I have done my duty, I request your majesty to be so gracious as to dismiss me from your service, and permit me to retire from the court into private life. I feel weak and exhausted, and need repose. Moreover, since we have peace now, my services are superfluous and may be easily dispensed with.""And you wish me to dismiss you very speedily, do you not?" asked the emperor, sarcastically. "You would like to retire as quickly as possible into private life, that the whole world, and, above all, the dear Tyrolese, may perceive that the noble and beloved Archduke John is dissatisfied with the treaty, and has therefore withdrawn in anger from the court and service of his emperor? I am sorry that Icannot afford you this satisfaction. You will remain in the service;I do not accept your resignation. I do not permit you to retire into private life. You should devote your abilities to the state; you are not allowed to withhold your services from it at this juncture.""Your majesty, I can no longer be useful to the state. I am exhausted to death. I repeat my request in the most urgent manner:
dismiss me from the service, and permit me to retire into private life.""What!" cried Francis, vehemently. "Your emperor has informed you of his will, and you dare to oppose it? That is a violation of subordination, for which the emperor, as supreme commander of his army, would punish his rebellious general rigorously, but for the fact that this general unfortunately is his brother. I repeat it, Ido not accept your resignation. You remain in the service; I demand it as your general-in-chief; I remind you of the oath of allegiance which you have sworn to me, your emperor and master.""Your majesty does right in reminding me of the oath I took," said the archduke, with freezing coldness. "It is true, I swore that oath; and as I am in the habit of keeping my word, and as it is disgraceful for any one to break his word and perjure himself, Ishall fulfil my oath. Hence, I shall obey my emperor and general-in-chief, and not leave the service. But now I ask leave of your majesty to withdraw for to-day, if your majesty has nothing further to say to me.""Yes, I have something else to say to you, my dear brother," said the emperor, smilingly. "I will give you a proof of the great confidence which I repose in you, and with which I count upon your discretion. I will communicate to you a family secret which is known at present only to the Emperor Napoleon, Baron von Thugut, who acted as my agent on this occasion, and myself.""What!" asked John, in surprise; "the Emperor Napoleon is aware of a family secret of your majesty?""As it concerns himself, he must be aware of it," said the emperor.
"Napoleon intends to marry a second time.""A second time? Has his first wife, the Empress Josephine, then, died suddenly?""No, she still lives, and is acting yet at this moment in Paris as the emperor's legitimate consort. But Napoleon, immediately after his return from Germany, will annul this marriage, which was never consecrated by a priest; he will divorce himself solemnly from his wife, and have then the right of marrying a second time. He requested my secret agent, Baron von Thugut, to ask me if I would consent to a marriage between him and an archduchess of Austria. Ireplied in the affirmative, and this agreement forms one of the secret articles of the treaty of peace.""An archduchess of Austria is to become the consort of the French despot!" cried John, in dismay. "And who, your majesty, is to be sacrificed to the Minotaur? Which of your sisters or cousins will you let him have?""None of my cousins or sisters," said Francis, calmly, "but my eldest daughter, Maria Louisa, is to become the consort of the Emperor Napoleon.""Maria Louisa!," cried John, with an expression of dismay. "Maria Louisa!"And John staggered back several steps, as pale as a corpse, and grasped the back of the chair in order not to sink to the floor.
Francis did not seem to perceive this. "Yes, Maria Louisa will be Napoleon's second consort," he said. "Every thing is settled already, and the marriage will take place next March. I think, brother, you may stand proxy for Napoleon on that occasion."The archduke gave a start, and pressed his hands to his temples as if he were afraid lest this dreadful "family secret" would burst his head.
"Your majesty," he said, in a tremulous and almost inaudible voice, "I beg leave to withdraw."Without waiting for a reply, the archduke turned and left the room with a tottering step, and leaning now and then against the wall in order not to sink to the floor.
The emperor looked after him, smilingly. "It seems Hudelist was not mistaken," he said. "My dear brother really loved Maria Louisa, and intended to become my son-in-law. What a nice idea! But he must give it up now. He--Holy Virgin! What noise is that in the anteroom? What fell to the floor there?"The emperor stepped quickly to the door and opened it. "What is the matter here" he asked.
"Your majesty," exclaimed the footman, who hastened to him, "the archduke fainted and fell to the floor, striking with his head against the corner of a chair, and wounding his forehead, which is bleeding copiously.""Well, I hope it is only a slight scratch," said the emperor, composedly. "Carry the archduke to his bedchamber and send for my surgeon. I will afterward call on him myself."Without taking any further notice of the archduke, the emperor returned into his cabinet and closed the door after him.
"He fainted," said Francis, triumphantly. "Henceforth he shall be entirely powerless. No one shall have any power here but myself. Ah, I have broken his pride, bent his will, and prostrated him at my feet. All my brothers shall bow to me, acknowledge me as their master, and obey me. Ah, I believe I have played a bad trick on my brothers. The Archduke John will not become Duke of Tyrol; the Grand-duke Ferdinand of Wuertzburg will not be Emperor of Austria, for Napoleon will become my son-in-law, and he will take good care not to deprive his father-in-law of his throne. I alone am, and shall remain, Emperor of Austria."