I asked whether the army orders had already been promulgated.
He shrugged his shoulders, and evidently did not care to divulge anything. He told me, though, that since the evening previous, he had been advanced to the rank of colonel, and had been placed in command of a regiment. When I spoke of this, as indicating that the Prince had decided for war, he lapsed into silence.
We soon parted, regretting that we could not go to his house, for Annette had already prepared quarters for our reception.
I then went to our club-house and learned that our party was already broken up. The Funk faction--I must give it this name, although he was not its leader--held separate meetings.
Ludwig determined logo at once to the meeting of Funk's party, because it was important above all things to know what was being done there.
"I believe in Lincoln's maxim," said he, "that 'it will never do to swap horses while crossing streams.'"
In little more than an hour, he returned and told us that he had been coldly received, although the leadership was shared with Funk by two members who had once been among his most intimate friends. He was now, however, able to tell that their plan was to insist on neutrality. They did not dare to think, much less to speak, of an alliance with France. Their intention, however, was to call together a large meeting of the popular party, in order to exert a moral influence on Parliament, and perhaps to overawe it.
At our meeting, we were expecting the arrival of the prime minister; the right wing of our party sided with the ministry.
The minister did not come; but sent one of his councillors, who informed me that the session would not be opened unless a quorum of delegates was present.
He told us that there was great disorder among the telegraphs.
After the councillor had left, Loedinger, my old associate and prison-mate, told me in confidence, that he expected a _coup d'etat_. He felt that the Prince had no desire to take counsel with the country, and had determined that his glory as a warrior should be shared by no one.
Loedinger was one of those imaginative persons who, whenever they form suspicions against any one, carry them to their extremest consequences.
The President, who was a member of our party, told us under the seal of secrecy, that the reason for delaying the opening of our session was that they might first ascertain what action the delegates in the next state would decide upon.