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〃Ah；　your　excellency；　I　only　know　a　single　verse　by　heart！〃

〃Well；　then；　let　us　have　that　verse。　Out　with　it！　I　tell　you；　you
will　not　leave　this　room　until　you　have　recited　it。　Never　fear；
however；　for　whatever　it　may　be；　I　pledge　you　my　word　that　no　harm
shall　befall　you。〃

〃Very　well；〃　said　Mr。　Wenzel；　desperately。　〃I　believe　the　verse
reads　as　follows：〃

　　　　　〃'Triumph！　triumph！　es　siegt　die　gute　Sache！
　　　　　Die　Turkenknechte　flieh'n！
　　　　　Laut　tont　der　Donner　der　gerechten　Sache；
　　　　　Nach　Wien　und　nach　Berlin。'〃

　　　　　＇Footnote：
　　　　　〃Triumph！　triumph！　the　good　cause　conquers
　　　　　The　despots'　minions　flee！
　　　　　The　thunders　of　the　just　cause　Reach　Vienna　and　Berlin！〃
This　hymn　was　universally　sung　at　that　time　（1797）　in　all　the　German
States；　not　merely　by　the　popular　classes；　but　likewise　in　the
exclusive　circles　of　the　aristocracy。　It　is　found　in　a　good　many
memoirs　of　that　period。＇

〃Indeed；　it　is　a　very　fine　song；〃　said　Thugut；　〃and　can　you　tell　me
who　has　taught　you　this　song？〃

〃No；　your　excellency；　I　could　not　do　it。　Nobody　knows　it　besides。　It
was　printed　on　a　small　handbill；　and　circulated　all　over　the　city。　A
copy　was　thrown　into　every　house；　and　the　working…men；　when　setting
out　early　one　morning；　found　it　in　the　streets。〃

〃And　did　you　not　assist　in　circulating　this　excellent　song；　my　dear
Mr。　Wenzel？〃

〃I？　God　and　the　Holy　Virgin　forbid！〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Wenzel；　in
dismay。　〃I　have　merely　sung　it；　like　all　the　rest　of　us；　and　sung　it
to　the　tune　which　I　heard　from　the　others。〃

〃Well；　well；　you　did　right；　for　the　melody　is　really　pleasing。　Such
songs　generally　have　the　peculiarity　that　not　a　single　word　of　them
is　true；　people　call　that　poetry。　Now；　you　may　go；　my　poetical　Mr。
Wenzel；　and　you　others；　whom　the　people　sent　with　this　pacific
mission　to　me。　Tell　your　constituents　that　I　will　this　time　comply
mercifully　with　their　wishes；　and　give　them　peace；　that　is；　I　will
let　them　go；　and　not　send　them　to　the　calaboose；　as　they　have
abundantly　deserved。　But　if　you　try　this　game　again；　and　get　up
another　riot；　and　sing　that　fine　song　once　more；　you　may　rest
assured　that　you　will　be　taken　to　jail　and　taught　there　a　most
unpleasant　lesson。　Begone　now！〃

He　turned　his　back　on　the　trembling　citizens；　and　took　no　notice　of
the　respectful　bows　with　which　they　took　leave　of　him；　whereupon
they　retired　with　soft　but　hasty　steps；　like　mice　escaping　from　the
presence　of　the　dreaded　lion。

〃And　now；　my　dear　count；　as　we　have　finished　our　breakfast；　let　us
return　to　my　cabinet；　for　I　believe　we　have　to　settle　some
additional　matters。〃




CHAPTER　IV。

THE　TWO　MINISTERS。


Baron　Thugut　took　the　count's　arm　and　led　him　back　to　his　cabinet。

〃I　read　a　question　in　your　eyes；〃　he　said；　smiling；　〃may　I　know　what
it　is？〃

〃Why；　yes；　your　excellency；〃　replied　Count　Saurau。

〃Let　me　ask　you；　then；　what　all　this　means？　Why　did　you　excuse　the
chief　of　police；　who　evidently　had　not　done　his　duty　and　been　guilty
of　a　lack　of　vigilance？　And　why　did　you　let　these　rascals　go；
instead　of　having　them　whipped　to　death？〃

〃You　were　away　from　Vienna；　count？　You　were　absent　from　the　capital
because　you　accompanied　their　majesties　on　their　trip　to　Presburg；
and　have　returned　only　an　hour　ago。　Am　I　right？〃

〃Perfectly　right；　your　excellency。〃

〃Then　you　could　not　be　aware　of　what　has　happened　meanwhile　here　in
Vienna；　and　the　chief　of　police　could　not　have　informed　you　of　the
particulars。　Well；　then；　he　came　to　me　and　told　me　that　an
insurrection　had　been　planned　against　the　two　emperors（I　believe
you　know　that　the　people　does　us　the　honor　of　calling　us　the　two
emperors　of　Vienna）；　and　that　the　faction　hostile　to　us　was　going　to
make　an　attempt　to　overthrow　us。　A　great　deal　of　money　had　been
distributed　among　the　populace。　Prince　Carl　von　Schwarzenburg
himself　had　dropped　some　indiscreet　remarks。　In　short；　the　faction
which　hates　me　because　I　do　not　deem　seditious　Belgium　a　priceless
jewel　of　the　crown　of　Austria；　and　do　not　advise　the　emperor　to　keep
that　remote　province　at　any　pricethe　faction　which　detests　both　of
us　because　we　do　not　join　its　enthusiastic　hymns　in　honor　of　the
French　Republic　and　the　republican　General　Bonapartethis　faction
has　hired　the　miserable　rabble　to　represent　the　people；　to　break　my
windows；　and　frighten　me　sufficiently　to　make　me　ready　and　willing
to　adopt　its　insane　policy。　The　chief　of　police　came　to　see　me
yesterday。　He　gave　me　an　account　of　the　whole　affair；　and　declared
himself　fully　prepared　to　protect　my　palace；　and　to　nip　the　riot　in
the　bud。　I　begged　him　not　to　do　any　thing　of　the　kind；　but　to　look
on　passively　and　attentively；　and　only　come　to　my　palace　after　the
mob　had　entered　it。　I　was　very　anxious　for　once　to　find　out
something　definite　about　the　strength；　courage；　and　importance　of
the　opposing　faction。　It　is　always　desirable　to　know　one's
adversaries；　and　to　learn　as　accurately　as　possible　what　they　are
capable　of。　Besides；　it　was　a　splendid　opportunity　for　the　police　to
discover　the　sneaking　demagogues　and　ringleaders　of　the　mob；　and　to
take　down　their　names　for　the　purpose　of　punishing　them　by　and　by；
as　we　Europeans　unfortunately　cannot　imitate　the　example　of　that
blessed　Queen　of　Egypt；　who　took　a　thousand　conspirators　by　the
tails；　and；　holding　them　in　her　left　hand；　cut　off　their　thousand
seditious　heads　with　one　stroke　of　the　sword　in　her　right　hand。
Unfortunately；　we　have　to　act　by　far　more　cautiously。〃

〃But　why　did　you　dismiss　all　the　rioters　this　time　without　giving
them　into　custody？〃　asked　the　count；　moodily。

〃Why；　we　have　them　all　by　the　tails；　anyhow；〃　laughed　Thugut；　〃for
have　not　we　got　the　list　of　the　names　here？　Ah；　my　dear　little
count；　perhaps　you　thought　I　would　have　gone　in　my　generosity　so　far
as　to　tear　this　list；　throw　the　pieces　away；　and　avert　my　head；　like
the　pious　bishop　who　found　a　murderer　under　his　bed；　permitted　him
to　escape；　and　averted　his　head　in　order　not　to　see　the　fugitive's
face　and　may　be　recognize　him　on　some　future　occasion？　I　like　to
know　the　faces　of　my　enemies；　and　to　find　out　their　names；　and；
depend　upon　it；　I　shall　never；　never　forget　the　names　I　read　on　this
list。〃

〃But　for　the　time　being；　these　scoundrels；　having　escaped　with
impunity；　will　go　home　in　triumph；　and　repeat　the　same　game　as　soon
as　another　occasion　offers。〃

〃Ah；　I　see　you　do　not　know　the　people　at　all！　Believe　me；　we　could
not　have　frightened　them　worse　than　by　letting　them　go。　They　are
perfectly　conscious　of　their　guilt。　The　very　idea　of　not　having
received　any　punishment　at　our　hands　fills　them　with　misgivings；　and
they　tremble　every　moment　in　the　expectation　that　they　will　have　to
suffer　yet　for　their　crime。　Remorse　and　fear　are　tormenting　them；
and　THEY　are　the　best　instruments　to　rule　a　people　with。　My　God；
what　should　be　done　with　a　nation　consisting　of　none　but　pure　and
virtuous　men？　It　would　be　perfectly　unassailable；　while　its　vices
and　foibles　are　the　very　things　by　which　we　control　it。　Therefore；
do　not　blame　the　people　on　account　of　its　vices。　I　love　it　for　the
sake　of　them；　for　it　is　through　them　that　I　succeed　in　subjecting　it
to　my　will。　The　idea　of　acting　upon　men　by　appealing　to　their
virtues；　is　simply　preposterous。　You　must　rely　on　their　faults　and
crimes；　and；　owing　to　the　latter；　all　these　fellows　whom　we
dismissed　to…day　without　punishment　have　become　our　property。　The
discharged　and　unpunished　criminal　is　a　sbirrothe　police　has　only
to　hand　him　a　dagger；　and　tell　him；　'Strike　there！'　and　he　will
strike。〃

〃Your　excellency　believes；　then；　that　even　the　ringleaders　should
not　be　punished？〃

〃By　no　means。　Of　course　some　of　them　should　be　chastised；　in　order
to　increase　the　terror　of　the　others。　But　for　God's　sake；　no　public
trialsno　public　penalties！　Wenzel　should　be　secretly　arrested　and
disposed　of。　Let　him　disappearhe　and　the　other　ringleaders　who
were　bold　enough　to　come　up　here。　Let　us　immure　them　in　some　strong；
thick…walled　prison；　and　while　the　other　rioters　are　vainly
tormenting　their　heavy　skulls　by　trying　to　guess　what　has　become　of
their　leaders；　we　shall　render　the　latter　so　pliable　and　tame　by　all
kinds　of　tortures　and　threats　of　capital　punishment；　that　when　we
finally　set　them　free　again；　they　will　actually　believe　they　are　in
our　debt；　and　in　their　gratitude　become　willing　tools　in　our　hands
to　be　used　as　we　may　deem　best。〃

〃By　the　eternal；　you　are　a　great　statesman；　a　sagacious　ruler！〃
exclaimed　Count　Saurau；　with　the　gushing　enthusiasm　of　sincere
admiration。　〃Men　grow　wise　by　listening　to　you；　and　happy　and
powerful　by　obeying　you！　I　am　entirely　devoted　to　youfull　of
affection　and　venerationand　do　not　want　to　be　any　thing　but　your
attentive　and　grateful　pupil。〃

〃Be　my　friend；〃　said　Thugut。　〃Let　us　pursue　our　career　hand　in　hand…
…let　us　always　keep　our　common　goal　in　view；　and　shrink　back　from　no
step　in　order　to　reach　it。〃

〃Tell　me　what　I　am　to　do。　I　shall　follow　you　as　readily　as　the　blind
man　follows　his　guide。〃

〃Well；　if　you　desire　it；　my　friend；　we　will　consider　a　little　how　we
have　to　steer　the　ship　of　state　during　the　next　months　in　order　to
get　her　safely