parison to stigmatize her attitude and language as theatrical. So
effective was her appeal that he felt the need of something to save
his own role, and accordingly he bowed her to a chair, and in the
moment thus gained determined to strike the key of high comedy. Taking
up the conversation in turn, he scrutinized the beauties of her
person, and, complimenting her dress, asked whether the material was
crape or India gauze. "Shall we talk of rags at such a solemn moment?"
she retorted; and then proceeded with her direct plea for Magdeburg.
In the midst of her eloquence, when the Emperor seemed almost
overcome by her importunity, her meddling husband most inopportunely
entered the room. He began to argue and reason, citing his threadbare
grievance, the violation of Ansbach territory, and endeavoring to
prove himself to be right. Napoleon at once turned the conversation to
indifferent themes, and in a few moments took his leave. "You ask
much," he said to the Queen on parting; "but I promise to think it
over." The courageous woman had done her best, but her cause--if,
indeed, it was ever in the balance--was lost from the moment she put
her judge in an inferior position. Her majestic bearing was fine, but
it was not diplomacy. She might, nevertheless, have succeeded had she
been the wife of a wiser man. Long afterward Napoleon thought her
influence on the negotiations would have been considerable if she had
appeared in their earlier stages, and congratulated himself that she
came too late, inasmuch as they were already virtually closed when she
arrived.

The remainder of the day passed for the Queen in a whirl of
excitement, receiving messengers from Napoleon with the pardons of
Prussian prisoners and accepting polite attentions from his adjutants.
She gladly consented to dine with Napoleon, and Berthier was chosen to
escort her to his Emperor's lodging. On arrival she was received with
distinction, and assigned at table to the seat of honor between the
host and the Czar. The Emperor was all politeness, offering unwelcome
consolations to Frederick William, and expressing astonishment at the
Queen's courage. "Did you know my hussars nearly captured you?" he
said to her. "I can scarcely believe it, sire," was the reply; "I did
not see a single Frenchman." "But why expose yourself thus? Why did
you not wait for me at Weimar?" "Indeed, sire, I was not eager."
There is a tradition that Talleyrand, whose work the treaty really
wa