“Good heavens! you say it with such a gloomy, solemn expression.  Has the emperor become irresolute?”

“Yes, that is it.  The emperor is surrounded by adherents of the Napoleonic party; they have succeeded in thrusting back the real patriots, the Anti-Bonapartists, and would have rendered them wholly inactive had not the Empress Ludovica tried to support them with all her influence.  All is not yet lost, but unless we soon succeed in making a decisive step, our foes will completely gain the ear of the emperor, persuade him to accept the ignoble, humiliating peace which Napoleon offered, and, from his enemy, become his ally.”

“It would be horrible if that could be done,” cried the count sadly.  “It is not possible that the Emperor Francis could resolve upon such humiliation.”

“They have alarmed the emperor, intimidated him; told him that his crown, his life, were at stake; that unless he would make himself Napoleon’s ally and accept the proffered peace, the Emperor Napoleon would say of him what he said of the Bourbons in Spain:  ’The Hapsburg dynasty has ceased to exist.’  If something does not now happen, if we do not force a decision, everything is lost.  Austria will conclude a humiliating peace and, instead of being delivered from the French tyrant’s yoke, we shall be obliged to see Austria sink into a French province, and the Emperor Francis, in spite of his high-sounding title, become nothing more than the viceroy of the Emperor Napoleon.”

“It must not, it shall not come to that!” exclaimed the count wildly.  “We must risk everything to prevent this.  We must stake our blood, our lives, to save Austria and Germany!”

“Ah, if you speak and think thus, count, you are one of us; you will wish to have a share in our work of liberation.”

“Yes, I demand my share, and the greater and more perilous it is, the more welcome it will be.”

“We all risk our lives,” said Kraus solemnly, “and if we are defeated, we shall all be lost; for the Emperor Francis will not protect us—­he will abandon us to Napoleon’s wrath, in order to prove that he had no part in our plans.  With this conviction, we must begin our work and arrange our affairs as if we were going into a battle.”

“My affairs are arranged, and I am ready,” replied the count solemnly.

“Hush! listen!  All our friends, like you, are ready, and the conspiracy winds like a great chain through all the countries of Europe.  Every one who loves his native land, and therefore hates Napoleon, has laid his brave hand on this chain and will add the link of his manly strength.  In France, in England, in Spain and Italy, in Sweden, in Russia and Turkey, everywhere, our friends are waiting for the decisive act which must take place here.  In England they have bought arms and ammunition and sent them to Heligoland Thence members of our league have brought them here and distributed them among the brothers.