SCHONBRUNN [The gardens of the Palace. Fountains and statuary are seen around, and the Gloriette colonnade rising against the sky on a hill behind. The ex-EMPRESS MARIE LOUISE is discovered walking up and down. Accompanying her is the KING OF ROME—now a blue-eye, fair-haired child—in the charge of the COUNTESS OF MONTESQUIOU. Close by is COUNT NEIPPERG, and at a little distance MÉNEVAL, her attendant and Napoléon’s adherent. The EMPEROR FRANCIS and METTERNICH enter at the other end of the parterre.]

MARIE LOUISE [with a start] Here are the Emperor and Prince Metternich. Wrote you as I directed?

NEIPPERG Promptly so. I said your Majesty had not part In this mad move of your Imperial spouse, And made yourself a ward of the Allies; Adding, that you had vowed irrevocably To enter France no more.

MARIE LOUISE Your worthy zeal Has been a trifle swift. My meaning stretched Not quite so far as that.... And yet—and yet It matters little. Nothing matters much! [The EMPEROR and METTERNICH come forward. NEIPPERG retires.]

FRANCIS My daughter, you did not a whit too soon Voice your repudiation. Have you seen What the allies have papered Europe with?

MARIE LOUISE I have seen nothing.

FRANCIS Please you read it, Prince.

METTERNICH [taking out a paper] “The Powers assembled at the Congress here Owe it to their own troths and dignities, And to the furtherance of social order, To make a solemn Declaration, thus: By breaking the convention as to Elba, Napoléon Bonaparte forthwith destroys His only legal title to exist, And as a consequence has hurled himself Beyond the pale of civil intercourse. Disturber of the tranquillity of the world, There can be neither peace nor truce with him, And public vengeance is his self-sought doom.— Signed by the Plenipotentiaries.”

MARIE LOUISE [pale] O God, How terrible!... What shall—-[she begins weeping.]

KING OF ROME Is it papa They want to hurt like that, dear Mamma ’Quiou? Then ’twas no good my praying for him so; And I can see that I am not going to be A King much longer!

COUNTESS OF MONTESQUIOU [retiring with the child] Pray for him, Monseigneur, Morning and evening just the same! They plan To take you off from me. But don’t forget— Do as I say!

KING OF ROME Yes, Mamma ’Quiou, I will!— But why have I no pages now? And why Does my mamma the Empress weep so much?

COUNTESS OF MONTESQUIOU We’ll talk elsewhere. [MONTESQUIOU and the KING OF ROME withdraw to back.]

FRANCIS At least, then, you agree Not to attempt to follow Paris-ward Your conscience-lacking husband, and create More troubles in the State?—Remember this, I sacrifice my every man and horse Ere he Rule France again.

MARIE LOUISE I am pledged already To hold by the Allies; let that suffice!

METTERNICH For the clear good of all, your Majesty, And for your safety and the King of Rome’s, It most befits that your Imperial father Should have sole charge of the young king henceforth, While these convulsions rage. That this is so You will see, I think, in view of being installed As Parma’s Duchess, and take steps therefor.

MARIE LOUISE [coldly] I understand the terms to be as follows: Parma is mine—my very own possession,— And as a counterquit, the guardianship Is ceded to my father of my son, And I keep out of France.

METTERNICH And likewise this: All missives that your Majesty receives Under Napoléon’s hand, you tender straight The Austrian Cabinet, the seals unbroke; With those received already.

FRANCIS You discern How vastly to the welfare of your son This course must tend? Duchess of Parma throned You shine a wealthy woman, to endow Your son with fortune and large landed fee.

MARIE LOUISE [bitterly] I must have Parma: and those being the terms Perforce accept! I weary of the strain Of statecraft and political embroil: I long for private quiet!... And now wish To say no more at all. [MÉNEVAL, who has heard her latter remarks, turns sadly away.]

FRANCIS There’s nought to say; All is in train to work straightforwardly. [FRANCIS and METTERNICH depart. MARIE LOUISE retires towards the child and the COUNTESS OF MONTESQUIOU at the back of the parterre, where they are joined by NEIPPERG. Enter in front DE MONTROND, a secret emissary of NAPOLÉON, disguised as a florist examining the gardens. MÉNEVAL recognizes him and comes forward.]

MÉNEVAL Why are you here, de Montrond? All is hopeless!

DE MONTROND Wherefore? The offer of the Regency I come empowered to make, and will conduct her Safely to Strassburg with her little son, If she shrink not to breech her as a man, And tiptoe from a postern unperceived?

MÉNEVAL Though such quaint gear would mould her to a youth Fair as Adonis on a hunting morn, Yet she’ll refuse! A German prudery Sits on her still; more, kneaded by her arts There’s no will left to her. I conjured her To hold aloof, sign nothing. But in vain.

DE MONTROND [looking towards Marie Louise] I fain would put it to her privately!

MÉNEVAL A thing impossible. No word to her Without a word to him you see with her, Neipperg to wit. She grows indifferent To dreams as Regent; visioning a future Wherein her son and self are two of three But where the third is not Napoléon.

DE MONTROND [In sad surprise] I may as well go hence then as I came, And kneel to Heaven for one thing—that success Attend Napoléon in the coming throes!

MÉNEVAL I’ll walk with you for safety to the gate, Though I am as the Emperor’s man suspect, And any day may be dismissed. If so I go to Paris. [Exeunt MÉNEVAL and DE MONTROND.]

SPIRIT IRONIC Had he but persevered, and biassed her To slip the breeches on, and hie away, Who knows but that the map of France had shaped And it will never now! [There enters from the other side of the gardens MARIA CAROLINA, ex-Queen of Naples, and grandmother of Marie Louise. The latter, dismissing MONTESQUIOU and the child, comes forward.]

MARIA CAROLINA I have crossed from Hetzendorf to kill an hour; Why art so pensive, dear?

MARIE LOUISE Ah, why! My lines Rule ruggedly. You doubtless have perused This vicious cry against the Emperor? He’s outlawed—to be caught alive or dead, Like any noisome beast!

MARIA CAROLINA Nought have I heard, My child. But these vile tricks, to pluck you from Your nuptial plightage and your rightful glory Make me belch oaths!—You shall not join your husband Do they assert? My God, I know one thing, Outlawed or no, I’d knot my sheets forthwith, Were I but you, and steal to him in disguise, Let come what would come! Marriage is for life.

MARIE LOUISE Mostly; not always: not with Joséphine; And, maybe, not with me. But, that apart, I could do nothing so outrageous. Too many things, dear grand-dame, you forget. A puppet I, by force inflexible, Was bid to wed Napoléon at a nod,— The man acclaimed to me from cradle-days As the incarnate of all evil things, The Antichrist himself.—I kissed the cup, Gulped down the inevitable, and married him; But none the less I saw myself therein The lamb whose innocent flesh was dressed to grace The altar of dynastic ritual!— Hence Elba flung no duty-call to me, Neither does Paris now.

MARIA CAROLINA I do perceive They have worked on you to much effect already! Go, join your Count; he waits you, dear.—Well, well; The way the wind blows needs no cock to tell! [Exeunt severally QUEEN MARIA CAROLINA and MARIE LOUISE with NEIPPERG. The sun sets over the gardens and the scene fades.]