"Ah! Count von Heltzendorff! Well, did I not say that I should not be very long before I returned to Potsdam, eh?" she exclaimed. Then, in a whisper, she said with a merry laugh: "Do you remember those clattering hoofs and my broken rope of pearls? Nothing has happened yet."
"And nothing will," I a.s.sured her as, with a courtier"s obeisance, I conducted Her Imperial Highness to the Royal carriage, where the Crown-Prince "Willie" was awaiting her, chatting with two officers of the Guard to while away the time.
Three days later an incident occurred which caused me a good deal of thought, and, truth to tell, mystified me considerably.
That somewhat indiscreet journal, the _Militar Wochenblatt_, had published a statement to the effect that Friedrich-August of Saxony and the handsome Luisa had had a violent quarrel, a fact which caused a great deal of gossip throughout Court circles.
Old Von Donaustauf, who at that time was master of the ceremonies at the Emperor"s Court, busied himself by spreading strange scandals regarding the Crown-Princess Luisa. Therefore, in the circ.u.mstances, it struck me as strange that Her Highness should have been invited to the puritanical and hypocritical circle at Potsdam.
That afternoon, soon after the guard had been changed, I chanced to be writing in my room, which overlooked the big central courtyard, when I heard the guard suddenly turn out in great commotion, by which I knew that His Majesty had suddenly returned from Hubertusstock.
Ten minutes later my telephone rang, and, pa.s.sing the sentries, I went by order to His Majesty"s study, that chamber of plots and secrets, hung with its faded pale green silk damask, its furniture covered with the same material, and its net curtains at the windows threaded with ribbons of the same shade.
The moment I entered the Emperor"s countenance showed me that he was very angry. His low-bowing crony, Lohlein, always a subtle adviser, had returned with him, and stood watching the Emperor as the latter impatiently paced the room.
I saluted, awaiting orders in silence, as was my habit, but so preoccupied was His Majesty that he did not notice my presence, but continued his outburst of furious wrath. "Only see what Von Hoensbroech has reported!" he cried, suddenly halting against one of those big buhl chests of drawers with grey marble tops--heavy pieces of furniture veneered with tortoise-sh.e.l.l in which the Emperor keeps his official papers. "I am being made a laughing-stock--and you know it, Lohlein! It has been said of us that a woman, a whim, or a word will to-day raise any person to high rank in our Empire! That blackguard, Harden, has actually dared to write it in his journal. Well, we shall see. That woman--she shall----"
As the Kaiser uttered those words he suddenly realized that I was present, and hesitated. Next second both his tone and his manner changed.
"Heltzendorff--I--I--wish you to go to Dresden and take a private letter. It will be ready in half an hour. Say nothing to anyone concerning your departure, but report to me here at"--and he glanced at the small bronze clock on the overmantel between two elegant candelabra--"at four o"clock."
As commanded, I reported, but the Kaiser was with the Empress, who, in one of her private apartments, was holding _pet.i.t cercle_, the Princess Luisa being present. Indeed, as I entered that semi-circular salon the Kaiser was standing astride before Luisa"s chair laughing gaily with her. Surely none who saw him at that moment would ever have believed that not half an hour before his face had been blanched by anger. He could alter his moods just as he changed his three hundred odd uniforms.
There was something mysterious in the wind--of that I felt absolutely convinced. The atmosphere of that faded green upstairs room was always one of confidential conversations, intimate conferences and secret plots--plots despicable and vile, as has since been proved--against the peace of the world.
The Emperor, noticing that I had entered the Imperial presence, came forward, and I followed him back into the softly-carpeted corridor. Then his action further aroused my curiosity, for he took from the inner pocket of his tunic an envelope of what you in England call "court"
size--linen-lined, as are all envelopes used by the Emperor for his private correspondence. I saw it had been sealed in black by his own hand. Then, as he handed it to me, he said:
"Go to Dresden as quickly as possible and obtain a reply to this."
I clicked my heels together, and, saluting, left upon my secret mission to the Saxon Court.
The letter was addressed to Baron Georg von Metzsch at Dresden.
Next day, when I presented it to the tall, thin Controller of the Household, who sat in his small but cosy room in the Royal Palace, I saw that its contents greatly puzzled him.
He wrote a reply, and as Imperial messenger I returned at once to Potsdam, handing it to the Emperor as he strode alone from the Sh.e.l.l Saloon, through which he was pa.s.sing after dinner.
He took it from my hand without a word. The All-Highest never bestows thanks upon those who obey his orders. It is, indeed, said to-day that Hindenburg has never once, during his whole official career, been verbally thanked by his Imperial Master.
The Emperor, with impatient fingers, tore open the envelope, read its contents, and then smiled contentedly, after which I went to old Von Donaustauf"s room, and, tired out by the long journey, smoked a good cigar in his company.
Next day we were all back at the Berlin Schloss--for we never knew from day to day where we might be--Hamburg, Stuttgart, Dusseldorf or Danzig.
During the morning His Majesty inspected the Berlin garrison in the Tempelhofer Feld, and the Princess Luisa rode with him. That same afternoon, while I was busy writing in the long room allotted to me in the Berlin Schloss, Her Imperial Highness, to my surprise, entered, closing the door quietly after her.
"Count von Heltzendorff, you have been on a secret mission to that spy, Von Metzsch, in Dresden, have you not?"
I rose, bowed, and without replying courteously offered her a chair.
"Why do you not admit it?" she asked quickly.
"Princess, if the Emperor gives me orders to preserve secrecy, then it is my duty to obey," I said.
"I know," she answered, and then I realized how upset and nervous she seemed. "But Von Metzsch hates me, and has put about all sorts of scandalous reports concerning me. Ah! Count," she sighed, "you do not know how very unhappy I am--how I am surrounded by enemies!"
These words caused me much surprise, though I had, of course, heard many unsavoury rumours regarding her unhappy position at the Saxon Court.
"I much regret to hear that," I said. "But Your Imperial Highness has also many friends, of whom I hope I may be permitted to number myself."
"Ah! it is extremely good of you to say that--very good. If you are really my friend, then you can help me. You are in a position to watch and discover what is in progress--the reason the Emperor exchanges those constant confidences with Von Metszch, the man who has twisted my husband around his little finger, and who has, with my Lady-of-the-Bedchamber, Frau von Fritsch, already poisoned his mind against me. Ah!" she sighed again, "you have no idea how much I have suffered!"
She seemed on the verge of a nervous crisis, for I saw that in her fine eyes stood the light of unshed tears, and I confess I was much puzzled, for I had certainly believed, up to that moment, that she was on excellent terms with her husband.
"But surely His Highness the Crown-Prince of Saxony does not believe any of those wicked reports?" I said.
"Ah! Then you have heard. Of course, you have. Von Metzsch has taken good care to let the whole world know the lies that he and the Countess Paule Starhemberg have concocted between them. It is cruel!" she declared in a paroxysm of grief. "It is wicked!"
"No, no. Calm yourself, Princess!" I urged sympathetically. "I am at least your friend, and will act as such should occasion arise."
"I thank you," she sighed in relief, and she put out her hand, over which I bent as I took it in friendship.
"Ah!" she exclaimed in a low voice. "I fear I shall require the a.s.sistance of a friend very soon. Do you recollect my broken pearls?"
And a few moments later she left my room.
Through all that day and the next I wondered what sly, underhand work could be in progress. I pitied the good-looking, unconventional Imperial Princess who, because of her somewhat hoydenish high spirits, had aroused the storm of anger and jealousy in the Saxon Court. But the Hapsburgs had ever been unfortunate in their loves.
On the day before the Crown-Princess"s visit to the Berlin Court was due to end, at about six o"clock in the evening, I pa.s.sed the sentries and ascended to the Emperor"s study with some papers I had been going through regarding the reorganization of the Stettin garrison. I was one of the very few persons ever admitted to that wing of the Palace.
As I approached the door, treading noiselessly upon the soft carpet, I heard voices raised excitedly, the door being slightly ajar.
Naturally I halted. In my position I was able to hear a great deal of Palace intrigue, but never had I listened to a conversation that held me more breathless than at that moment.
"Woman," cried the Emperor, "do you, then, openly defy my authority?"
"What that crafty sycophant, Von Metzsch, has told you is, I repeat, a foul and abominable lie," was the reply.
And I knew that the unfortunate Princess was defending her reputation, which her enemies at the Court of Saxony had torn to shreds.
"No woman ever admits the truth, of course," sneered the Emperor. "I consider you a disgrace to the Dresden Court."
"So this is the manner in which you openly insult your guests!" was the Princess"s bitter retort. "You, who believe yourself the idol of your people, now exhibit yourself in your true light as the traducer of a defenceless woman!"
"How dare you utter those words to me!" cried the All-Highest One, in fury.
"I dare defend myself--even though you may be Emperor," replied Luisa, in a cold, hard tone of defiance. "I repeat that your allegations are untrue, and that you have no right to make them. Surely you can see that my enemies, headed by the King of Saxony, are all conspiring to effect my downfall. I know it! I have written proof of it!"
"Bosh! You say that because you know that the statements are true!"