and as for your majesty's order that I should always remain by the
side of Count Metternich, I have hardly violated it by corning to
Vienna, for I believe the Count will follow me in the course of a
few days. Unless your majesty recalls him to Vienna, the Emperor
Napoleon, I think, will expel him from Paris."

"You do not say so!" exclaimed Francis, shrugging his shoulders.
"You think he will issue a manifesto against Metternich, as he did
against the Prussian minister Von Stein? Well, let me hear the news.
What have you to tell me?"

"So many important things, your majesty, that the count and myself
deemed it expedient to report to your majesty verbally, rather than
send a dispatch which might give you only an unsatisfactory idea of
what has occurred. Hence I came post-haste to Vienna, and arrived
here only a quarter of an hour since; I pray your majesty therefore
to pardon me for appearing before you in my travelling-dress."

"Sit down, you must be tired," said the emperor, good-naturedly,
seating himself in an arm-chair, and pointing to the opposite chair.
"Now tell me all!"

"Your majesty," said Hudelist, mysteriously, while a strange
expression of mischievous joy overspread his ugly, pale face, "the
Emperor Napoleon has returned from Spain to France."

The Emperor Francis gave a start and frowned. "Why?" he asked.

"Because he intends to declare war against Austria," said Hudelist,
whose face brightened more and more. "Because Napoleon is