frederick the great and his family-第157章

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These　magical　words　aroused　Amelia　from　her　apathy。　With　a　quick　movement　she　arose　from　the　sofa；　she　was　endowed　with　new　energy　and　vitality；　she　advanced　toward　the　door；　then　paused；　and　looked　silent　and　thoughtful。

〃Admit　the　stranger！〃　said　she；　〃I　will　see　his　treasures。〃

The　page　left　the　room；　and　Amelia　gazed　after　him　breathlessly；　and　with　a　loudly…beating　heart。　It　seemed　to　her　an　eternity　before　the　stranger　entered。

A　tall；　slender　man；　in　simple　but　elegant　costume；　approached。　He　stood　at　the　door；　and　bowed　profoundly　to　the　princess。　Amelia　looked　at　him　steadily；　and　sighed　deeply；　she　did　not　know　this　man。　Again　her　hopes　had　deceived　her。

〃You　said　the　Landgrave　of　Hesse　sent　you　to　me？〃　said　she；　roughly。

〃Yes；　princess；〃　said　the　man；　〃he　commanded　me　to　seek　your　highness　as　soon　as　I　arrived　in　Berlin；　and　show　you　my　collection；　in　order　that　you　might　have　the　privilege　of　selecting　before　all　others。〃

Amelia　looked　once　more　questioningly　and　fiercely　upon　the　stranger；　but　he　remained　cold　and　indifferent。

〃Well；　sir；　show　me　your　gems！〃

He　placed　a　large　casket　upon　a　table　in　the　middle　of　the　room；　he　then　unlocked　it；　and　threw　back　the　lid。　In　the　different　compartments；　splendid　jewels　of　wondrous　beauty　were　to　be　seen　rings；　pins；　bracelets；　and　necklaces　of　rare　workmanship　and　design。

〃Diamonds；〃　cried　Amelia；　contemptuously；　〃nothing　but　diamonds！〃

〃But　diamonds　of　a　strange　fire　and　wondrous　design；〃　said　the　strange　jeweller。　〃Will　not　your　highness　graciously　draw　nearer；　and　observe　them？〃

〃I　have　no　use　for　them：　I　wear　no　diamonds！〃　said　Amelia：　〃if　you　have　nothing　else　to　show　me；　close　the　casket；　I　shall　make　no　purchase。〃

〃I　have；　indeed；　other　and　rarer　treasures；　some　beautiful　carved　work；　by　Cellini；　some　ivory　carving　of　the　middle　ages；　and　a　few　rare　and　costly　cameos。　Perhaps　these　may　please　the　taste　of　your　highness？〃

The　jeweller　raised　the　first　compartment；　and　taking　out　a　number　of　beautiful　and　costly　articles；　he　laid　them　upon　the　table；　explained　the　workmanship　and　design　of　each　piece；　and　called　the　attention　of　the　princess　to　their　wondrous　beauty。

Amelia　listened　carelessly　to　his　words。　These　things　had　no　interest　for　her；　she　looked　only　at　one　objecta　round　packet；　rolled　in　paper；　which　the　stranger　had　taken　with　the　other　articles　from　the　casket；　this　must　be　something　particularly　costly。　It　was　carefully　wrapped　in　silk　paper；　while　every　thing　else　lay　confusedly　together；　and　yet　this　seemed　the　only　treasure　which　the　jeweller　did　not　seem　disposed　to　exhibit。　Amelia；　however；　remarked　that　he　raised　this　mysterious　packet　several　times；　as　if　it　was　in　his　way；　changed　its　place；　but　every　time　brought　it　nearer　to　her。　It　now　lay　immediately　in　front　of　her。

〃What　does　that　paper　contain？〃　said　she。

〃Oh；　that　has　no　interest　for　your　royal　highness；　that　is　a　worthless　object！　Will　you　have　the　goodness　to　examine　this　seal？　It　represents　the　holy　Saint　Michael；　treading　the　dragon　under　his　feet；　and　it　is　one　of　the　most　successful　and　beautiful　works　of　Benvenuto　Cellini。〃

Amelia　did　not　look　at　the　seal；　she　stretched　out　her　hand　toward　the　mysterious　packet；　and　giving　a　searching　look　at　the　jeweller；　she　raised　and　opened　it。

〃A　cup！　a　tin　cup！〃　she　exclaimed；　in　astonishment。

〃As　I　remarked　to　your　highness；　a　worthless　object；　unless　the　rare　beauty　of　the　workmanship　should　give　it　some　value。　The　carving　is　indeed　beautiful　and　most　wonderful；　when　you　know　that　it　was　done　with　a　common　nail；　and　not　even　in　daylight；　but　in　the　gloom　and　darkness　of　a　subterranean　cell。〃

Amelia　trembled　so　violently；　that　the　cup　almost　fell　from　her　hand。　The　stranger　did　not　remark　her　emotion；　but　went　on　quietly。

〃Observe；　your　highness；　how　finely　and　correctly　the　outlines　are　drawn；　it　is　as　artistically　executed　as　the　copperplate　of　a　splendid　engraving。　It　is　greatly　to　be　regretted　that　we　cannot　take　impressions　from　this　tin　cup；　they　would　make　charming　pictures。　The　sketches　are　not　only　well　executed；　but　they　are　thoughtfully　and　pathetically　conceived　and　illustrated　with　beautiful　verses；　which　are　worthy　of　a　place　in　any　album。　If　your　highness　takes　any　interest　in　such　trifles；　I　beg　you　will　take　this　to　the　light　and　examine　it　closely。〃

The　princess　did　not　answer：　she　stepped　to　the　window；　and　turning　her　back　to　the　jeweller；　looked　eagerly　at　the　cup。

It　was；　indeed；　a　masterpiece　of　art　and　industry。　The　surface　was　divided　by　small　and　graceful　arabesques　into　ten　departments；　each　one　of　which　contained　an　enchanting　and　finely…executed　picture。　No　chisel　could　have　drawn　the　lines　more　correctly　or　artistically；　or　produced　a　finer　effect　of　light　and　shade。　Under　each　picture　there　was　a　little　verse　engraved　in　such　fine　characters；　that　they　could　only　be　deciphered　with　difficulty。

Amelia's　eyes　seemed　to　have　recovered　the　strength　and　power　of　earlier　days。　A　youthful；　vigorous　soul　lay　in　the　glance　which　was　fixed　upon　this　cup；　she　understood　every　thing。

There　was　a　cage　with　an　imprisoned　bird；　beneath　this　a　verse：


　　　　　〃Ce　n'est　pas　un　moineau；　　　　　　Garde　dans　cette　cage；　　　　　　C'est　un　de　ces　oiseaux；　　　　　　Qui　chantent　dans　L'orage。　　　　　　Ouvrez；　amis　des　sages；　　　　　　Brisez　fers　et　verroux；　　　　　　Les　chants　dans　vos　bocages；　　　　　　Rejailliront　pour　vous。〃

＇Footnote：　　　　　　〃This　is　not　a　sparrow　　　　　　Kept　in　this　cage。　　　　　　It　is　one　of　those　birds　　　　　　Who　sing　in　storms。　　　　　　Open；　friend　of　the　wise；　　　　　　Break　iron　and　bolts；　　　　　　The　songs　in　your　woods　　　　　　Shall　fly　back　to　you。〃＇

In　the　next　compartment　was　again　a　cage；　containing　a　bird；　and　on　the　branch　of　a　tree　under　which　the　cage　was　placed；　perched　another　bird；　with　fluttering　wings　and　open　beak；　underneath　was　written


　　　　　〃Le　rossignol　cbante；　voici　la　raison；　　　　　　Pourquoi　il　est　pris　pour　chanter　en　prison；　　　　　　Voyez　le　moineau　qui　fait　tant　de　dommage；　　　　　　Jouir　de　la　vie　sans　craindre　la　cage。　　　　　　Voila　un　portrait；　　　　　　Qui　montre　l'effet　　　　　　Du　bonheur　des　fripons　du　desastre　des　sages。〃

＇Footnote：　　　　　　〃The　nightingale　sings；　and　this　is　the　reason　　　　　　That　he　is　taken　to　sing　in　a　prison。　　　　　　See　now　the　sparrow；　who　does　so　much　evil；　　　　　　Plays　with　life　without　fear　of　cages。　　　　　　　　　　　See　in　this　portrait；　　　　　　　　　　　Which　shows　the　effect　　　　　　Of　the　good　luck　of　rogues；　and　the　misfortune　of　sages。〃＇

Amelia　could　not　control　herself；　she　could　look　no　longer。　She　rarely　wept；　but　now　her　eyes　were　filled　with　tears。　They　fell　upon　the　cup；　as　if　to　kiss　the　letters　which　had　recalled　so　many　touching　and　sad　remembrances。　But　she　had　no　time　for　tears；　she　must　read　on！　With　an　involuntary　movement；　she　dashed　the　tears　from　her　eyes；　and　fixed　them　steadily　upon　the　cup。

Here　was　another　picture。　In　a　cell　lay　a　skeleton　form；　the　hands　and　the　feet　bound　with　heavy　chains。　The　figure　had　raised　itself　slightly　from　the　straw　bed　and　gazed　with　an　agonized　expression　at　the　grating　in　the　wall；　behind　which　the　grim…bearded　face　of　a　soldier　was　seen；　who；　with　wide…open　mouth　seemed　to　be　calling　angrily　to　the　prisoner。　Beneath　this　stood　some　verses　in　German。　＇Footnote：　See　memoirs　of　Trenck；　Thiebault；　in　which　Trenck　describes　one　of　these　cups　and　the　fate　which　befell　it。　One　of　them　was　engraved　for　the　Landgrave　of　Hesse；　and　in　this　way　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　Emperor　Joseph　the　Second；　who　kept　it　in　his　art　cabinet。　Another；　which　had　been　once　in　possession　of　the　wife　of　Frederick　the　Great；　Trenck　afterward　recovered　in　Paris。　Some　of　these　cups　are　still　to　be　seen　in　art　collections　in　Germany；　and　some　are　in　the　museum　in　Berlin。＇　〃Oh　fearful！　most　fearful！〃　sobbed　Amelia；　and；　completely　overcome；　her　head　sank　upon　her　breast。　She　cared　not　that　the　strange　jeweller　saw　her　tears　and　heard　the　despairing　cry　of　her　heart；　she　had　nothing　to　fear；　she　had　no　more　to　lose。　The　assembled　world　might　hear　and　see　her　great　grief。　But　no；　no；　this　must　not　be。　His　agony；　his　tortures；　might　perhaps　be　increased　to　punish　her　through　him！　She　must　not　weep；　she　must　not　complain。　Trenck　lived