"You had no business to close the door," said the minister. "Who
ordered you to do so? Who ordered you to barricade the house, as if
it were a fortress--as if we had a bad conscience and were afraid of
the people?"

The steward looked aghast, and did not know what to reply.

"Go down-stairs at once," continued the minister; "order the porter
to open the door, and admit everybody. Show the people up-stairs;
and you rascals who are standing there with pale faces and trembling
knees, open the two folding-doors so that they can get in without
hurting each other. Now do what I have told you."

The steward bowed with a sigh expressive of the agony he felt, and
hurriedly left the room.

The footmen, meanwhile, hastened to open the folding-doors of the
dining-room, as well as those of the antechamber. The two gentlemen
at the table obtaining thereby a full view of the landing of the
large staircase, directly in front of the open door of the first
room.

"And now, Germain," said Thugut to the footman behind his chair,
"now let us have our breakfast. Be wise, my dear count, and follow
my example; take some of this sherbet. It cools the blood, and, at
the same time, is quite invigorating. Drink, dear count, drink! Ah!
just see, my cook has prepared for us to-day a genuine Turkish meal,
for there is a turkey boiled with rice and paprica. The chief cook
of the grand vizier himself furnished me the receipt for this
exquisite dish, and I may venture to assert that you might look for