, extraordinary contributions, and an
income-tax, and issue paper money. These onerous expedients will deliver
us at least from the present pressure by furnishing us the means of
paying the French contributions. It is only necessary to send my plan to
Paris--to deliver it safely into the hands of Napoleon, and induce him
to accept it."

"I hope you will not ask me to go to Paris for this purpose!" exclaimed
the queen, in dismay.

"No," answered Stein, "I have proposed to his majesty to intrust this
task to his brother, Prince William. The king has approved my
proposition, and sent for the prince to request him to undertake this
difficult and dangerous mission."

"He will joyfully consent to do so," exclaimed Louisa. "He loves his
king and his country, and will shrink from no sacrifice. Alas, he will
have to endure many a humiliation, and in vain; it will lead to
nothing."

"We must send powerful auxiliaries with him," said Stein, quickly. "And
now I shall state the request which I desire to make to your majesty.
You must support the prince, and help him in his difficult undertaking.
I beseech you, therefore, to give him an autograph letter to Napoleon;
condescend to entreat the emperor to be merciful and generous; depict to
him the distress of your country, the sufferings of your subjects, and
the privations of your family, and appeal to his magnanimity to desist
from his demands, and accept our plan of payment. Oh, your majesty, in
your enthusiasm and patriotic love, you are inspired with a power of
expression which even Napoleon will be unable to resist; and whatever he
would refuse to the prayers of the prince he will yield to those of
Queen Louisa!"

"Never!" she exclaimed. "Never can I subject myself to this humiliation!
Never can I stoop so low as to write to that man! Oh, you do not know
how pitilessly he insulted me; otherwise you would not dare to ask me.
Remember what I have already done, how low I have humbled myself, and
all for nothing. Can I forget those days of Tilsit, when I seemed to
live only for the purpose of heightening the conqueror's pride by my
woe-begone appearance--when I felt as if chained in a triumphal car, and
endeavored with a mournful smile to conceal my shame and misery, in
order to meet him politely whose heartless glances made my soul tremble?
How can I write to him whom I implored at Tilsit, but who carried his
cruelty so far as to make promises which he afterward renounced--who