She smiled and shook her head. "I never drink wine," she said; "wine is a magician who suddenly tears the mask from my face and compels my lips to speak the truth which they would otherwise, perhaps, never have uttered. But I will make an exception this time; this time I will fill my glass, for I must drink the health of the great emperor. Pour some wine into it, and let us cry: 'Long live Napoleon the Great!'"
She drank some of the fiery southern wine, and her prediction was fulfilled. The wine took the mask from her face, and loosened the fetters of her tongue.
Her eyes beamed now with the fire of enthusiasm, and the rapturous praise of Napoleon flowed from her lips like a torrent of the most glowing poetry.
She was wondrously beautiful in her enthusiastic ardor, with the flaming blush on her cheeks, with her flashing eyes and quivering lips, the sweet smile of which showed two rows of pearly teeth.
"Oh," exclaimed the major, fascinated by her loveliness, "why is the great emperor not here--why does he not hear your enchanting words-- why is he not permitted to admire you in your radiant beauty!"
"Why am I not allowed to hasten to him in order to sink down at his feet and worship him?" exclaimed Marianne, fervently. "Why am I not allowed to lie for a blissful hour before him on my knees in order to beg with scalding tears his pardon for the hatred which formerly filled my soul against him, and to confess to him that my hatred has been transformed into boundless love and ecstatic adoration? Where shall I find the friend who will pity my longing, and open for me the path leading to him? Such a friend I should reward with a gold- piece for every minute of my bliss, for every minute I should be allowed to remain near the great emperor."
"Do you speak in earnest, your highness?" asked Major von Brandt, gravely and almost solemnly.
"In solemn earnest!" asseverated Marianne. "A gold-piece for every minute of an interview with the Emperor Napoleon."
"Well, then," said the major, joyfully, "I shall procure this interview for you, your highness, and your beauty and fascinating loveliness will cause the emperor not to count the minutes, nor the hours either, so that it will be only necessary for me to reduce the hours to minutes."
"A gold-piece for every minute!" repeated Marianne, whose face was radiant with joy and happiness. "Oh, you look at me doubtingly, you believe that I am only joking, and shall not keep afterward what I am now promising."
"Most gracious princess, I believe that enthusiasm has carried you away to a promise the acceptance of which would be an abuse of your generosity. Suppose the emperor, fascinated by your wit, your beauty, your charming conversation, should remain four hours with you, that would be a very handsome number of gold pieces for me!"
Instead of replying to him, Marianne took the silver bell and rang it.
"Bring me pen, ink, and paper, a burning candle and sealing-wax," she said to the footman who entered.
In a few minutes every thing had been brought to her, and Marianne hastily wrote a few lines. She then drew the seal-ring from her finger and affixed her seal to the paper, which she handed to the major.
"Read it aloud," she said.
The major read:
"I promise to Major von Brandt, in case he should procure me an interview with the Emperor Napoleon, to pay him for every minute of this interview a louis-d'or as a token of my gratitude."
"MARIANNE, PRINCESS VON EIBENBERG."
"Are you content and convinced?" asked the princess.
"I am, your highness."
"And you will and can procure me this interview?"
"I will and can do so."
"When will you conduct me to Schonbrunn?"
The major reflected some time, and seemed to make a calculation. "I hope to be able to procure for your highness to-morrow evening an interview with the emperor," he said. "I am quite well acquainted with M. de Bausset, intendant of the palace, and I besides know Constant, his majesty's valet de chambre. These are the two channels through which the wish of your highness will easily reach the emperor, and as his majesty is a great admirer of female beauty, he will assuredly be ready to grant the audience applied for."
"Will you bring me word to-day?" asked Marianne.
"Yes, princess, to-day. I will immediately repair to Schonbrunn. The emperor arrived there yesterday."
"Hasten, then," said Marianne, rising from her seat--"hasten to Schonbrunn, and remember that I am waiting for your return with trembling impatience and suspense."
She gave her hand to the major.
"Good Heaven, your highness!" he exclaimed, in terror, "your hand is as cold as marble."
"All my blood is here," she said, pointing to her heart. "Hasten to Schonbrunn."
He imprinted a kiss on her hand and left the room.
Marianne smiled until the door had closed behind him. Then her features underwent a sudden change, and assumed an air of horror and contempt.