For Sceptre and Crown Volume I Part 48

"With the greatest pleasure, my dear count, I offer you the hospitality of my head-quarters," cried the king. "You will, perhaps," he added, smiling, "during your military campaign, have to excuse the dinners we shall offer you, but _a la guerre comme a la guerre_. We are going to encounter great events," he continued gravely.

"They will doubtless bring great glory and enduring happiness to your majesty," said Count Ingelheim.

"Do you think we shall be able to reach South Germany?" asked the king.

"I am sure of it," replied the count, "according to all the information I have received. And I have just had a note from Count Paar who is in Ca.s.sel. The road is free, and the few Prussian troops who may be there will be unable to arrest the march of your majesty's army."

"I would the next few days were over," said the king gloomily; "the cares of the march weigh heavily upon me, and I cannot bear to think that we may be surrounded by superior forces."

"Your brave army would fight its way through if needful," cried the count. "I cannot doubt it, for I saw them on my journey here; but above all, let your majesty remember you do not stand alone; the decisive action must take place on a Saxon battle-field, and when the emperor has fought there and won, your majesty will return in triumph to your capital."

The king was silent.

"The great thing would be," he said, after a pause, "to reach Bavaria.

If we succeed in this, the army is saved, and will be free to take a part in the great struggle on the fate of Germany. We must know exactly where the Bavarian army is."

"According to what I heard yesterday, the Bavarian outposts are near Eisenach and Gotha," said Count Ingelheim.

"Well, then, the union would not be difficult. But would it not be well to let the Bavarian head-quarters know where we are, and our line of march, that they may direct their operations accordingly?"

"Doubtless, your majesty," said Count Platen, "as soon as the new commander and the general staff have completely decided on our march."

"It seems to me," said the king, "that in our present circ.u.mstances we should follow the simple plan of taking the easiest and shortest line of march."

"I do not know," replied Count Platen; "to me it appears there are many different views and opinions to be considered, which may be difficult to reconcile."

"Difficult to reconcile! I do not understand why," exclaimed the king; "but," he continued, half to himself, in a melancholy voice, "I must leave that to my generals. Pray take care, Count Platen, that trustworthy and intelligent persons are sent on by the roads leading to the south, with instructions to discover if the enemy's troops are there, and in what numbers."

"At your command, your majesty."

"Are there any news from Hesse?" asked the king.

"Yes, your majesty, up to yesterday," said Count Ingelheim. "The prince had determined to remain in Ca.s.sel. The army is under the command of General Lothberg, and is concentrated at Fulda."

"We must join it there," cried the king. "United to the army of Hesse, we should form a force capable of serious resistance, and we should not easily be brought to a halt."

The groom of the chambers announced the minister of war.

"General Arentschildt and Colonel Dammers await your majesty's commands," said General Brandis; "and here are the necessary papers,"

he added.

"Ask the gentlemen to come in," cried the king. "My dear count, we shall meet at dinner, if I may make the request, in campaigning costume."

He held out his hand to the Austrian amba.s.sador.

"Count Platen, I commit Count Ingelheim to your care, trusting he may find all the comforts our headquarters afford."

The two gentlemen withdrew. At the door they met the officers.

General von Arentschildt was not tall, but remarkably thin, with sharply-marked, somewhat withered features, and an enormous grey moustache, hanging completely over the mouth. He entered the room first, and was closely followed by Colonel Dammers, a man who was still young, extremely fair, with a red fresh colour, and quick energetic movements. His clear grey eyes took in everything with a sharp firm glance, and were then fixed expectantly upon the king.

They were followed by General Brandis.

"Gentlemen," said George V. gravely, and with a certain degree of proud reserve, "my minister of war has imparted to you why I have sent for you at this moment, so full of danger to myself and the country. I am persuaded that the confidence in you, so universally expressed, and of which I give so signal a proof, will be completely justified. I beg you to commence your duties without delay; and I request you, General von Arentschildt, to give us your opinion upon our further march as soon as possible."

"Your majesty," exclaimed the general, striking his hand vehemently upon his breast,--"Your majesty, I am highly honoured by your confidence, and I will do everything an old soldier can do, to justify it. I beg your majesty----"

"What?" asked the king.

"To give me Colonel Cordemann as chief of the general staff."

The king was silent for a moment.

"A new chief of the general staff too," he said, half speaking to himself. "It is right," he continued, "for you to have a chief of the staff of your own choosing. Colonel Dammers, will you prepare what is needful? and will you, General Brandis, inform General von Sichart in the most considerate manner----"

"The general has sought me already, requesting me to bid your majesty adieu for him," replied General Brandis.

"Brave man!" cried the king. "But I will see him shortly, and take leave of him personally. And now, gentlemen, to work. Ernest, I beg you to send me the privy councillor."

The crown prince and the officers left the room.

With a deep sigh the king leant back in his chair. He listened thoughtfully to the sounds of voices and footsteps which rose from the street below, mingled with military signals, the trampling of horses, and the trumpet calls, and he whispered to himself:

"Nec aspera terrent!"

The newly-organized general staff was installed in the aula of the university, and worked unceasingly at the mobilization of the army, and the preparations for its march.

Whilst the whole town was thus feverishly restless and active, a carriage drove quickly to the railway station.

In it sat old General von Tschirschnitz with folded arms, gazing gloomily before him.

"This, then, is the end of a long service commenced on the battle-fields of 1813, and continued through many a year of war and peace,--and now to be sent off when before the enemy,--and why? because certain young officers, ambitious climbers, wish to have the road open, and seize the opportunity of freeing themselves from the firm strict rule of old Tschirschnitz."

He took up his sword, and laid it on the opposite side of the carriage.

"Lie there," he said gloomily, "thou worthy old sword; thou art too stiff and too straight for the present generation,--they write a great deal, also they run to and fro continually,--they make plans, they proclaim orders and counter-orders, but they don't trouble themselves about the soldiers; they will not march, and they will only fight when they are obliged. But," he said with a deep breath, "the army will fight, the troops will rush at the enemy if they meet, in spite of instructions and theories--of that I am sure."

He had arrived at the railway, and as he was stepping, sabre in hand, into an empty train, about to return to Hanover for more troops, the Cambridge dragoon regiment drew up with clattering of arms in the court of the station under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Kielmansegge, who was at their head on a snorting spirited horse, and who was about to lead his regiment through the town to the villages of Harste and Gladebeck lying before Gottingen.

The old general looked from his coupe affectionately at the flas.h.i.+ng arms of the gallant hors.e.m.e.n.

Then he leant back with a melancholy smile, the engine whistled, and the train rushed towards Hanover.

At the same moment the trumpet sounded, the strains of the regimental band rose in the air, the horses threw up their heads, their riders settled themselves in the saddle, the ranks closed up, and the glorious regiment rode through the city of Georgia Augusta.

In front of the fourth squadron, on a curveting horse, rode a tall handsome man, the Rittmeister von Einem,[8] and beside his troop rode Lieutenant von Wendenstein, looking fresh, and dazzling in full uniform. His eyes shone brightly, and it was evident that only duty constrained him to keep his place in the line, and restrain his spirited horse; he would rather have rushed in a wild gallop straight at the enemy. Yet a low sad strain rang in his heart when he thought of the old house in Blechow,--of the last evening amongst his family, and of the song which had so strangely affected him,--yet still this strain mingled harmoniously with the warlike fanfare of the trumpets, with the neighing of horses, and the clas.h.i.+ng of arms,--his eyes flashed in the suns.h.i.+ne, and his lips smiled as he whispered the hopeful words, "Auf Wiedersehn!"

The regiment rode past the Crown Hotel; the squadrons greeted the king at the window with an echoing hurrah, then they rode out by the further gate to the villages, where the peasants gave them a hearty welcome, for the Hanoverian cavalry is always popular with the Hanoverian peasantry; how much the more now, when the brave hors.e.m.e.n were riding out with their king?