When Roger escorted her home, he felt a new man. His depression and gloom about the future had been banished as by the wave of a fairy's wand. His brief encounter with the love of his life had restored him, as nothing else could have done, to his old optimistic, confident self.
A few days later he went out to sec Josefa. He told her that he had arranged for her to travel back to Paris at the end of the month with one of the last convoys conveying the Gobelin tapestries and other rich embellishments the Emperor had sent to add lustre to his presence at the conference. He then gave her gold and a letter to his old and trusted friend Maitre Blanchard at La Belle Etoile, in the Rue St. Honore, telling her that the innkeeper and his wife would take good care of her and the infant until she received further instructions from him.
The conference continued for a further ten days. During this time the two couples met again nearly every evening, either at receptions, the theatre or at balls; but it was only at the latter that Roger was able to hold brief private conversations with Georgina. Ulrich von Haugwitz did not attempt to conceal the fact that he found Lisala most attractive, and he had heartily endorsed Georgina's invitation that the de Breucs should spend some days at Schloss Langenstein when the conference was over. But there was one aspect of the visit which had given Roger cause for thought, and during a dance he raised it with Georgina.
'I have been thinking,' he said, 'about young Charles. Your husband and everyone here believe me to be a Frenchman; but the boy can have no suspicion of the double life I lead. When I arrive at the Schloss, all the odds are that he will rush to embrace me, and that would put the fat in the fire with a vengeance.'
Georgina thought for a moment, then said, 'You are right, so you must not travel with us, but arrive a day or two later, so that I shall have time to wam him. He is now twelve, a sensible lad and entirely to be trusted. It could be said, too, that while you were in England on your mission for Napoleon in '99, I invited you, as I often did foreign Ambassadors, down to stay at Stillwaters. Then, should Charles make some slip, that would explain away your knowing the house and his having as a child seen you there.'
It was on the last day of the conference that the Czar sent for Roger. He was seated at ease in a small room with his friend and adviser, Prince Adam Czartoryski. When the equerry who had presented Roger had withdrawn, Alexander smiled and said:
'Monsieur le Colonel... or should I say Mr. Brook, when last we met Russia was at war with France, and it was understood that, if I arranged your exchange, you would do your utmost to supply me with useful information.'
Roger bowed. 'I was eager to do so, Sire; but was deprived of the opportunity.'
'So I have been informed. You were sent with General Gardane's mission to Turkey and Persia, were you not? So I do not hold against you your failure to keep your word. However, I should like to hear your views on the present situation.'
For some five minutes Roger held forth on the war being waged in the Peninsula and the unrest in Germany. Finally, he said:
'The Emperor is still wielding immense power and resources. Does he turn his will to it, I believe him capable of subduing Spain and throwing the English out of Portugal. In Germany, as long as he holds the principal fortresses, little can be done against him. But of his eventual fall I am convinced. It will be brought about by the leading men among his own people. They have come to realise that his wars are no longer in defence of France, but to satisfy his own insane ambitions. He is bleeding France to death, and at the first favourable opportuniry, to save their country, many of those whom he has raised up will turn upon him.'
The Czar and Prince Adam exchanged a smile, then the latter said:
'This we have learned, and from a very high authority. One such said to His Imperial Majesty only the other day, "Sire, what are you coming here for? It is for you to save Europe, and you will only succeed in that by resisting Napoleon. The French are civilised, their sovereign is not. The Sovereign of Russia is civilised, her people are not. Therefore the Sovereign of Russia must be the ally of the French people."'
Roger smiled. 'I would stake my life that I could name the man who said that. It was the Prince dc Benevento.'
'Why should you suppose so?' Alexander asked coldly.
'Because, Sire, every word has the ring of Talleyrand. He has been my close friend for over twenty years. He knows as you do that I am, in fact, an Englishman. We have worked together ceaselessly, although so far without avail, to bring about peace between our two countries, so that this bloodshed may end and the nations of Europe again enjoy security and prosperity.'
Alexander raised his eyebrows. 'Then, Mr. Brook, you are an even more remarkable man than I had supposed, and can be of great service to us. Policy dictates that we should renew our treaty with the Emperor, but we shall not pay more than lip service to it. Talleyrand has seen to that, and Napoleon must indeed have become insane to have put him in charge of negotiations here, instead of relying on his Foreign Minister.'
'I was not aware that he had, Sire,' Roger admitted, 'as I have had no private conversation with the Prince since we arrived in Erfurt. But 'tis said, "those whom the gods seek to destroy they first make mad", and that is the case with Napoleon.'
Rising to terminate the interview, the Czar extended his hand for Roger to kiss and said, 'Mr. Brook, we know you to be our friend, and any service you can render us will not go unrewarded.'
Next day, October 12th, the new treaty was signed. An hour later, Roger sought an interview with the Emperor and asked for leave.
Before he could say more, Napoleon rounded on him and snapped, 'What! And after you have been back in my service for no more than three months? I suppose on account of your weak chest you wish again to idle the winter away in sunshine at that little chateau of yours in the South of France? But I will provide you with ample sunshine. I intend to go to Spain and teach those Spanish curs a lesson they will not soon forget. You speak many languages, have travelled far, and possess a knowledge of affairs greatly exceeding that of the majority of my beaux sabreurs. I can find many uses for you, so I mean to take you to Spain with me.'
Roger smiled. 'Sire, you flatter me; but you did not hear me out. I meant only to ask permission to spend a few days with Baron von Haugwitz and his wife at their castle on the Rhine.'
'Ah! That is another matter. Go then; but rejoin me in Paris before the end of the month.'
Next day the conference began to break up, with more salvoes of cannon and fanfares of trumpets. Roger was present when Queen Louisa went out to her coach. At a private dinner with her husband, Josephine and Napoleon, she had pleaded eloquently with the latter to return Magdeburg to Prussia. Having made her an evasive answer, he had taken a rose from a vase on the table and handed it to her. Those who knew him realised that the gesture had been inspired only by his invariable gentleness towards women; but she had taken it as a deliberate indication that he did not regard women as qualified to discuss affairs of State.
Immersed as ever in his own urgent business he did not pay her the courtesy of coming to see her off. It was Talleyrand who limped forward and offered her his arm, condoled with her for a while on her failure to help her country, then handed her into her coach. Afterwards she recorded:
'I was astonished beyond belief that this renegade priest, whom I had always thought of as the most evil, depraved and treacherous man of his time, should have been the only one to show me sympathy and understanding during the conference at Erfurt.'