The Merchant of Berlin. L. Muhlbach

CHAPTER XVII.

       CHAPTER XVIII.

      BOOK I.

      CHAP. I.—The Festival

      II.—The Workman's Holiday

      III.—Brother and Sister

      IV.—Feodor von Brenda

      V.—Mr. Kretschmer, of the "Vossian Gazette"

      VI.—The Cowards' Race

      VII.—The Interrupted Festival

      VIII.—The Leader of the People

      IX.—The Russian is at the Gates

      X.—Be Prudent

      XI.—The Night of Horrors

      XII.—Russians and Austrians

      XIII.—A Maiden's Heart

      XIV.—A Faithful Friend

      XV.—An Unexpected Meeting

      XVI.—The Fugitive

      XVII.—The Eavesdropper

      XVIII.—The Two Cannoneers

      XIX.—Father Gotzkowsky

      * * * * *

      BOOK II.

      CHAP. I.—The Two Editors

      II.—The Chief Magistrate of Berlin

      III.—The Russian, the Saxon, and the Austrian, in Berlin

      IV.—The Cadets

      V.—The Explosion

      VI.—John Gotzkowsky

      VII.—The Horrors of War

      VIII.—By Chance

      IX.—Mistress or Maid?

      X.—An Unexpected Ally

      XI.—The Jew Ephraim

      XII.—The Russian General and the German Man

      XIII.—The Execution

      XIV.—Bride and Daughter

      XV.—The Rivals

      XVI.—The Punishment

      XVII.—The Banquet of Gratitude

      XVIII.—A Royal Letter

      * * * * *

      BOOK III.

      CHAP. I.—Frederick the Great at Meissen

      II.—The Winter-quarters in Leipsic

      III.—The Friend in Need

      IV.—Gratitude and Recompense

      V.—Four Years' Labor

      VI.—Days of Misfortune

      VII.—Confessions

      VIII.—The Russian Prince

      IX.—Old Love—New Sorrow

      X.—The Magistracy of Berlin

      XI.—The Jews of the Mint

      XII.—The Leipsic Merchant

      XIII.—Ephraim the Tempter

      XIV.—Elise

      XV.—The Rescue

      XVI.—Retribution

      XVII.—Tardy Gratitude

      XVIII.—The Auction

ILLUSTRATIONS

       Table of Contents

      Feodor's Visit to the Garden

       The Merchant draws Feodor from his Hiding-place

       The Rich Jews appeal to Gotzkowsky

       The Great Frederick examining the Porcelain Cup

BOOK I.

       Table of Contents

CHAPTER I.

       Table of Contents

      THE FESTIVAL.

      The sufferings of the long war still continued; still stood Frederick the Great with his army in the field; the tremendous struggle between Prussia and Austria was yet undecided, and Silesia was still the apple of discord for which Maria Theresa and Frederick II. had been striving for years, and for which, in so many battles, the blood of German brothers had been spilt.

      Everywhere joy seemed extinguished; the light jest was hushed; each one looked silently into the future, and none could tell in whose favor this great contest would finally be decided, whether Austria or Prussia would be victorious.

      The year 1760, the fifth of the war, was particularly sad for Prussia; it was marked in the history of Germany with tears and blood. Even Berlin which, up to that time, had suffered but little from the unhappy calamities of war, assumed now an earnest, mournful aspect, and it seemed as if the bright humor and sarcastic wit which had always characterized the inhabitants of this good city had now entirely deserted them. Going through the wide and almost empty streets there were to be met only sad countenances, women clothed in black who mourned their husbands or sons fallen in one of the many battles of this war, or mothers who were looking with anxiety into the future and thinking of their distant sons who had gone to the army.

      Here and there was seen some wounded soldier wearily dragging himself along the street, but hearty, healthy men were seldom to be met, and still more seldom was seen the fresh countenance of youth.

      Berlin had been obliged to send not only her men and youths, but also her boys of fourteen years to the army, which, according to the confession of Frederick the Great, consisted, in the campaign of the year 1760, only of renegades, marauders, and beardless boys.

      For these reasons it seemed the more strange to hear at this time issuing from one of the largest and handsomest houses on the Leipsic Street the unwonted sounds of merry dance-music, cheerful singing and shouting, which reached the street.

      The passers-by stopped and looked with curiosity up to the windows, at which could be seen occasionally a flushed joyous man's face or pretty woman's head. But the men who were visible through the panes evidently did not belong to the genteeler classes of society; their faces were sunburnt, their hair hung down carelessly and unpowdered upon the coarse and unfashionable cloth coat, and the attire of the maidens had little in common with the elegance and fashion of the day.

      "The rich Gotzkowsky gives a great feast to his workmen to-day," remarked the people in the street to one another; and as they passed on they envied with a sigh those who were able at the same time to enjoy a merry day in the rich and brilliant halls of the great manufacturer, and admire the splendor of the rich man's house.

      The mansion of Gotzkowsky was indeed one of the handsomest and most magnificent in all Berlin, and its owner was one of the richest men of this city, then, despite the war, so wealthy and thriving. But it was not the splendor of the furniture, of the costly silver ware, of the Gobelin tapestry and Turkish carpets which distinguished this house from all others. In these respects