e past." "But our own times afford actions
worthy of commemoration." "It is already more than I can endure to
live in them."

Before parting, Napoleon spent a few moments at her side, and at the
end, turning, pulled from a bunch a beautiful rose, which he offered
with gestures of gallantry and homage. Hesitating a moment, the Queen
at last put out her hand, and said as she accepted it, "At least with
Magdeburg." "Madame," came the frigid reply, "it is mine to give and
yours to accept." But he gave his arm to conduct her to the carriage,
and as they descended the stair together the disappointed guest said,
in a sentimental and emotional voice, "Is it possible that, having had
the happiness to see so near the man of the century and of all
history, he will not afford me the possibility and the satisfaction of
being able to assure him that he has put me under obligations for
life?" With solemn tones Napoleon replied, "Madame, I am to be pitied;
it is a fault of my unlucky star." Queen Louisa's own lady in waiting
related that her sovereign's bitterness overcame her at the last, and
as she stepped into the carriage she said, "Sire, you have cruelly
deceived me." It is certain that next day she overwhelmed Duroc with
reproaches; but she afterward frankly confessed that she could recall
no definite promise made by Napoleon. To Talleyrand she said, with
fine sarcasm, that only two persons regretted her having come to
Tilsit--he and she. Her duty, she believed, as a loving wife, as a
tender mother, as the queen of her people, was fulfilled; but her
heart was broken. Queen Mary of England said of the loss of Calais,
"Should they open my heart, they will find the name of Calais
inscribed in bloody letters within." Queen Louisa pathetically
recalled this moan; she could say the same of Magdeburg.

The treaty with Prussia, signed two days later, did not modify in the
least the terms arranged with Alexander, and for six years that
country remained in a mutilated and conquered condition, compelled to
obey with outward respect the behests of Napoleon. Every domain she
had owned west of the Elbe went to the kingdom of Westphalia, the
circle of Kottbus went to Saxony, the Polish provinces of south
Prussia and new east Prussia to the grand duchy of Warsaw, the circle
of Bielostok to Russia. Napoleon is said to have urged the Czar to
seize Memel and the strip of Prussian land east of the Niemen; but
this is denied, and in any case, Alexa