I must tell you all that pa.s.sed, for I feel an indescribable pleasure in writing it.
Picture to yourself a large salon furnished with regal splendour, brilliantly lighted up, and hung with crimson silk, embroidered with wreaths of flowers in gold. In the first row, on large gilt chairs, sat the Archd.u.c.h.ess Sophia with Madame d"Harville on her left, and the Princess Amelie on her right.
Behind them stood the duke in the uniform of colonel of the guards. He seemed scarcely thirty, and the military uniform set off his fine figure and n.o.ble features. Beside him was the Archduke Stanislaus in the uniform of a field-marshal; then came the princess"s maids of honour, the ladies of the grand dignitaries of the court, and then the dignitaries themselves.
I need scarcely tell you that the Princess Amelie was less conspicuous by her rank than by her extraordinary beauty. Do not condemn me without reading this description of her. Although it falls far short of the reality, you will understand my adoration. You will understand that as soon as I saw her I loved her; and that the suddenness of my pa.s.sion can only be equalled by its violence and its eternity.
The Princess Amelie was dressed in a plain white watered silk dress, and wore, like the archd.u.c.h.ess, the riband of the imperial order of St. Nepomucenus recently sent to her by the empress. A diadem of pearls surrounded her head, and harmonised admirably with two splendid braids of fair hair that shaded her delicate cheeks. Her arms, whiter than the lace that ornamented them, were half hidden in long gloves, reaching nearly to her elbow.
Nothing could be more perfect than her figure, nothing more charming than her foot in its satin slipper. At the moment when I saw her her beaming blue eyes wore a pensive expression. I do not know whether some serious thought came over her, or whether she was impressed with the grave melody of the piece Liszt was playing; but the expression of her countenance seemed to me full of sweetness and melancholy.
Never can I express my feelings at that moment. All that my aunt had related of her goodness crossed my mind.
Smile if you will, but my eyes became full of tears when I saw this young girl, so beautiful and so idolised by such a father, seem so melancholy and pensive.
You know how scrupulously etiquette and the privileges of rank are observed by us. Thanks to my t.i.tle and my relationship to the grand duke, the crowd in the midst of which I stood gradually fell back, and I found myself left almost alone in the embrasure of the door. It was, no doubt, owing to this circ.u.mstance that the princess, awaking from her reverie, perceived, and no doubt recognised me, for she started and blushed.
She had seen my portrait at my aunt"s, and recognised me; nothing could be more simple. The princess"s eyes did not rest upon me an instant, but that look threw me into the most violent confusion. I felt my cheeks glow, I cast down my eyes, and did not venture to raise them for some time. When I dared at last to steal a glance at the princess she was speaking in a low tone to the archd.u.c.h.ess, who seemed to listen to her with the most affectionate interest.
Liszt having paused for a few moments between the pieces he was playing, the grand duke took the opportunity of expressing his admiration. On returning to his place he perceived me, nodded kindly to me, and said something to the archd.u.c.h.ess, fixing his eyes on me at the same time. The d.u.c.h.ess, after looking at me a moment, turned to the duke, who smiled and said something to his daughter that seemed to embarra.s.s her, for she blushed again. I was on thorns; but, unfortunately, etiquette forbade my leaving my place until the concert was over.
As soon as the concert was finished I followed the aide-de-camp; he conducted me to the grand duke, who deigned to advance a few steps towards me, took me by the arm, and said to the Archd.u.c.h.ess Sophia:
"Permit me to present to your royal highness my cousin, Prince Henry of Herkausen-Oldenzaal."
"I have seen the prince at Vienna, and meet him here with pleasure," replied the d.u.c.h.ess, before whom I inclined myself respectfully.
"My dear Amelie," continued the prince, addressing his daughter, "this is Prince Henry, your cousin, the son of one of my most valued friends, Prince Paul, whom I greatly lament not seeing here to-day."
"Pray, monseigneur, inform the prince that I equally regret his absence, for I am always delighted to know any of my father"s friends."
I had not until then heard the princess"s voice, and I was struck with its intense sweetness.
"I hope, my dear Henry, you will stay some time with your aunt,"
said the grand duke. "Come and see us often about three o"clock _en famille_; and if we ride out you must accompany us. You know how great an affection I have always felt for you, for your n.o.ble qualities."
"I cannot express my grat.i.tude for your royal highness"s kindness."
"Well, to prove it," said the grand duke, smiling, "engage your cousin for the second quadrille; the first belongs to the archduke."
"Will your royal highness do me the honour?" said I to my cousin.
"Oh, call each other cousin, as in the good old times," replied the duke, laughing. "There should be no ceremony between relations."
"Will you dance with me, cousin?"
"Yes, cousin," replied the princess.
I cannot tell how much I felt the touching kindness of the grand duke, and how bitterly I reproached myself for yielding to an affection the prince would never authorise.
I vowed inwardly that nothing should induce me to acquaint my cousin with my affection, but I feared my emotion would betray me.
I had leisure for these reflections whilst my cousin danced the first quadrille with the Archduke Stanislaus. Nothing was more suited to display the graces of the princess"s person than the slow movements of the dance. I anxiously awaited my turn; and I succeeded in concealing my emotion when I led her to the quadrille.
"Does your royal highness sanction my calling you cousin?" said I.
"Oh, yes, cousin, I am always delighted to obey my father."
"I rejoice in this familiarity, since I have learnt from my aunt to know you."
"My father has often spoken of you, cousin; and what may, perhaps, astonish you," added she, timidly, "I also knew you by sight; for one day the Abbess of Ste. Hermangeld, your aunt, for whom I have the greatest respect, showed me your picture."
"As a page of the sixteenth century?"
"Yes, cousin; and my father was malicious enough to tell me that it was an ancestor of ours, and spoke so highly of his courage and his other qualities that our family ought to be proud of their descent from him."
"Alas, cousin, I fear my resemblance to my portrait is not great!"
"You are mistaken, cousin," said the princess. "For at the end of the concert I recognised you immediately, in spite of the difference of costume." Then, wishing to change the conversation, she added, "How charmingly M. Liszt plays!--does he not?"
"Yes. How attentively you listened to him!"
"Because there is to me a double charm in music without words.
Not only you hear the execution, but you can adapt your thoughts to the melody. Do you understand me?"
"Perfectly; your own thoughts become words to the air."
"Yes, you quite comprehend me," said she, with a gesture of satisfaction. "I feared I could not express what I felt just now."
"I thank G.o.d, cousin," said I, smiling, "you can have no words to set to so sad an air."
I know not whether my question was indiscreet or whether she had not heard me, but suddenly she exclaimed, pointing out to me the grand duke, who crossed the room with the archd.u.c.h.ess on his arm, "Cousin, look at my father, how handsome he is! how n.o.ble!
how good! Every one looks at him as if they loved him more than they feared him."
"Ah," cried I, "it is not only here he is beloved. If the blessing of his people be transmitted to their posterity, the name of Rodolph of Gerolstein will be immortal."
"To speak thus is to be, indeed, worthy of his attachment."
"I do but give utterance to the feelings of all present; see how they all hasten to pay their respects to Madame d"Harville!"
"No one in the world is more worthy of my father"s affections than Madame d"Harville."
"You are more capable than any one of appreciating her, as you have been in France."
Scarcely had I p.r.o.nounced these words than the princess cast down her eyes, and her features a.s.sumed an air of melancholy; and when I led her back to her seat the expression of them was still the same. I suppose that my allusion to her stay in France recalled the death of her mother.
In the course of the evening a circ.u.mstance occurred which you may think too trivial to mention, perhaps, but which evinces the extraordinary influence this young girl universally inspires.
Her bandeau of pearls having become disarranged, the Archd.u.c.h.ess Sophia, who was leaning on her arm, kindly readjusted the ornament upon her brow. Knowing, as we do, the hauteur of the archd.u.c.h.ess, such condescension is almost inconceivable.
The next morning I was invited, together with a few other persons, to be present at the marriage of the grand duke with Madame la Marquise d"Harville. I had never seen the princess so radiant and happy.