THE ESPOUSALS.
Both Bischofswerder and Woellner hastened to avail themselves of the commanding "adieu," and quit the royal presence. Without, the carriage was ready to reconvey them to the new palace. They were so exhausted that neither of them uttered a word, the last injunctions of the king ringing in their ears.
Silently they alighted upon arriving, but as the footman came out to meet them they asked, simultaneously, if his royal highness had dined.
"His highness is not here, having departed immediately after the two gentlemen, and is not yet returned," he answered.
"You may serve us something to eat as quickly as possible in the little dining-room. Let it be ready in a quarter of an hour,"commanded Bischofswerder.
"Now that we are alone, what do you think of this affair?" asked Woellner.
"I cannot vouchsafe a reply until I have eaten a pheasant's wing, and drunken my champagne," replied Bischofswerder.
He kept his word, preserving a solemn silence until a good half of the bird had disappeared, and many glasses of iced champagne.
Then Bischofswerder leaned back in his comfortable armchair with infinite ease, whilst his friend occupied himself with the most pious zeal with the pheasant, rejoicing at this revelation of the Invisibles. Bischofswerder let him enjoy it, and ordered the footman to serve the dessert and withdraw.
"Now I am prepared to reply to you, my dear friend, that we are alone. I believe the king would have sent us to Spandau at once if we had opposed his free-thinking opinions.""I am convinced of it," sighed Woellner, eyeing the remains of the bird with a melancholy glance. "We shall have much to endure for the holy cause which we serve.""That is to say, we will have much to suffer if we, in fanatical indiscretion, do not submit to circumstances," said Bischofswerder.
"You cannot traduce the sublime Fathers!" cried Woellner;--"for the body's security, we cannot endanger the salvation of our souls, and, like Peter, deny our master.""No, my much-loved and noble friend. But we must be wise as serpents, and our duty to the holy order is to preserve its useful tools that they may not be lost. You will agree with me in this?""Indeed, I do admit it," replied Wollner, pathetically.
"Further, you will acknowledge that we are very useful, and I might say indispensable tools of the Sublime Order of the Rosicrucians and the Invisible Fathers of the Order of Jesus? It is our task to secure an abiding-place to the proscribed and, cursed, to plough and sow the field, which will yield good fruit for humanity entire, and particularly our order, when the crown prince ascends the throne. We will here erect a kingdom of the future, and it is all-important to lay so secure a corner-stone in the heart of his highness that nothing can shake or dislodge it. Who could perfect this work if we were not here? Who would dare to undertake the difficult task if we should fail? Who would carry on a secret and continued warfare with this artful and powerful seductress if we were conquered?""No one would do it," sighed Woellner, "no one would sacrifice themselves like Samson for this Delilah.""We will together be the Samson," replied Bischofswerder, drawing a glass of sparkling champagne. "We will be the Samson which the Philistines drove out, but this woman shall not practise the arts of Delilah upon us in putting our eyes out or cutting off our hair.
Against two Samsons the most artful and beautiful Delilah is not wary enough; and if we cannot conquer her, we must resort to other means.""What may they be, dear brother?"
"We must compromise the matter."
Woellner sprang up, and a flush of anger or from champagne overspread his face "Compromise with the sinful creature!" he cried, impetuously. "Make peace with the seductress, who leads the prince from the path of virtue!""Yes, we must be on friendly terms with this woman, who could greatly injure us as an enemy, and aid us infinitely as a friend.
This is my intention, and I am the more convinced that we must accept this middle course, as she is protected by the king.""Because he knows from his spies that she mingles with the Illuminati and the Freemasons, and that she is our opponent," said Woellner.
"The more the reason, my noble zealot, to win her friendship, who will have validity and power until the crown prince reigns, and this old godless freethinker of a king is in his gravel Then Prussia will commence a new era, and we shall be lords, and guide the machine of state. For such lofty aims one ought to be ready to compromise with his Satanic majesty even. Then why not with this little she-devil, whose power is fading every year with her youth and beauty?""It is quite true, we should be mindful of the device of our Invisible Fathers. The end sanctifies the means," sighed Woellner.
"I believe it to be indispensable, and you will grant that I am right. Do you not see that the prince has availed himself of our absence to go there, and has not yet returned?""What!" shrieked Woellner, clasping his hands--" you do not mean that--""That Rinaldo has returned to the enchanted garden of Armida.""Oh, let us hasten to release him at once, and revue his soul from perdition!" cried Woellner, springing up.
"On the contrary, let us await him here without a word of reproach upon his return. This will touch his tender heart which we must work upon, if we would get him into our power, for to us he must belong.
Fill our glasses with the sparkling wine, and drink to the contract with Wilhelmine Enke."Just as merrily they quaffed the champagne in the little cosy dining-room at Charlottenburg, where the prince and Wilhelmine were rejoicing over a reconciliation, no one being present but the two children. Their joyous laugh and innocent jests delighted the father, and the beaming eyes, sweet smile, and witty conversation of his favorite, filled his heart with pleasure.