peror's attendants treated
him in the same manner, and Minister Champagny remarked to Knobelsdorf
that they would see how Prussia behaved. He hoped we would comply as
much as possible with the emperor's wishes, for such a course would
alone be likely to give us relief, and that we ought to blame no one but
ourselves. Are you aware of this, and are you still hopeful and speak of
a happy future?"

"Yes, I am aware of all this, and it is precisely for this reason I
speak as I do," said Stein. "We must work to dispel the dangers to which
your majesty referred; we must erect lightning-rods to attract the
dangerous fire. If your majesty had a less vigorous soul, I should
conceal from you the calamities still threatening Prussia,
notwithstanding the treaty of Tilsit; but Queen Louisa is the genius of
Prussia, and I apply to her for assistance!"

"Oh!" exclaimed the queen, anxiously, "bad tidings again, I suppose?"

"Yes," said Stein, sadly--"bad tidings! We have received the last
propositions or rather decrees of Napoleon. He imposes on Prussia
contributions amounting to one hundred and fifty millions, one-third to
be paid immediately in cash; bills will be accepted for fifty millions,
and estates are to be ceded to France for the last fifty millions. The
five fortresses of Graudenz, Kolberg, Stettin, Kuestrin, and Glogau are
demanded as security for the payment. Forty thousand French soldiers are
to garrison the fortresses, ten thousand of whom will be cavalry,
uniformed, armed, and fed by Prussia, which is to furnish twelve
millions for this purpose. The estates of the king in the districts of
Magdeburg and Brandenburg, between the Elbe and the Oder, and in
Pomerania, are to be ceded and disposed of in what manner the emperor
may deem prudent. As the forty thousand men will be unable to find
sufficient room in the five fortresses, certain districts of Prussia
will have to be assigned them."

"And what remains then to the king?" exclaimed Louisa, with flaming
eyes. "What remains to us?"

"This must not be," said Stein. "We must leave nothing undone--we must
strain every nerve to prevent it. The disasters of Prussia compel us to
shrink from nothing to avert this last and terrible blow, or the country
will be hopelessly ruined. Oh, I cannot describe to you the distress,
the misery, the disgrace I witnessed in the cities through which I
passed on my journey. Your majesty knows that I was at Berlin; I saw
that Daru and Clar