He left the window hastily, and took his hat, but Thugut's vigorous
hand kept him back.

"Where are you going, count?" said he, smiling.

"To the governor of Vienna," said Saurau. "I want to ask him why he
permits this nonsense, and order him to disperse the rabble in the
most summary manner!"

"Pray, stay here," said Thugut, quietly. "The governor of Vienna is
a man of great sagacity, who knows perfectly well how we have to
treat the people. Why, it would be an unparalleled tyranny if the
poor people were not even allowed to give the prime minister their
good advice, and tell him what they think of the state of affairs.
Just give them this permission, and they will believe they have
performed a most heroic deed, and it will seem to them as if they
could boast of great liberty. True political wisdom, my dear little
count, commands us to give the people a semblance of liberty; we
thereby succeed in dazzling their eyes so well that they do not
perceive that they have no real liberty whatever."

The clamor and noise in the street below had increased in fury. The
people, whose dense masses now entirely obstructed the street,
impetuously moved up to the portal of the ministerial palace, the
front door of which had been locked and barred already by the
cautious porter. Vigorous fists hammered violently against the door,
and as an accompaniment to this terrible music of their leaders, the
people howled and yelled their furious refrain: "We want to see the
minister! He shall give us peace! peace! peace!"