Page:Great Men and Famous Women Volume 6.djvu/81

QUEEN LOUISE OF PRUSSIA 253 Eylau. Next day those snows for miles around were red with blood. It was hard to tell with whom the costly victory lay, but Napoleon despatched Bertrand to the Russian outposts to propose an armistice, and Benningsen sent him on to Memel, reminding the Prussian king that it could not be their interest to grant what it was Napoleon's interest to ask. The terms were,' indeed, far easier than those offered after June ; but Friedrich Wilhelm, true to the ally who had held the field almost single-handed through that terrible winter, would make no sep- arate agreement, nor did Louise receive more favorably a message to herself, conveying Napoleon's wish to pay his court to her in her own capital. Though the piercing Baltic winds tried her strength greatly, she employed herself whenever able in reading and visiting the over-full hospitals. To a dear friend she said, " I can never be perfectly miserable while faith in God is open to me." " Only by patient perseverance," so she wrote to her father, " can we suc- ceed. Sooner or later I know we shall do so." It was not to be yet. On June 14, 1807, Napoleon annihilated the Russians at Friedland, and four days later Dantzic fell. Her tone grew sadder. "We are not yet bereft of peace. My great sorrow is being unable to hope." As the czar could resist no longer and Napoleon desired peace, they met at Tilsit, and there, on a covered raft moored midway in the Niemen, arranged the outlines of a treaty. The next day Friedrich Wilhelm, yielding to stern neces- sity, accepted terms "to the last degree hard and overwhelming." The czar, believing that Louise might move even Napoleon to clemency, her husband begged her to join him at Tilsit. On reading this summons she burst into tears, declaring this the hardest task ever given her to do. " With my broken wing how can I succeed ? " she pathetically asked. Napoleon paid his respects soon after her arrival, and they met at the stair- head. Louise, for Prussia's sake, forced herself to utter courteous regrets that he should have to mount so steep a staircase. He answered blandly that no diffi- culties were feared when striving for a reward beyond. Then, touching her gauze robe, asked, " Is it crepe ? " " Shall we speak of such trifles at such a time?" was her only reply. He was silent: .then demanded, " How could you make war on me?" She told him that they had overrated their strength. " And relying on the great Friedrich's fame you deceived yourselves." Louise's clear eyes met his steadily. " Sire, resting on the great Friedrich's fame, we might naturally deceive ourselves, if, indeed, we wholly did so." Then she told him that she had come to entreat him to be generous to Prus- sia. He answered respectfully, but made no promise. Again, with exceeding earnestness, she implored at least for Magdeburg. Just then Friedrich Wilhelm entered, and Napoleon abruptly took leave. " Sire," said Talleyrand warningly to him, when they were alone, " shall pos terity say that you threw away your great conquest for the sake of a lovely woman ?" Louise meanwhile dwelt again and again on Napoleon's words, " You ask a