us French masters. But we would like to keep our emperor and our
excellent ministers, who take care of us so paternally. And that is
the only reason why we have come here--just to implore your
excellency to have mercy with the poor people and make peace, so
that the emperor may return to Vienna, and bring his state treasury
back to the capital. Yes, men, that is all we wanted, is it not? We
just wanted to pray your excellency to give us peace!"

"Yes, your excellency," shouted the men, "have mercy with us, and
give us peace!"

"Well, for angels of peace, you have penetrated rather rudely into
my house," said the minister, sternly. "You got up a riot in order
to obtain peace."

"It was merely our anxiety that made us so hasty and impetuous,"
said Mr. Wenzel, deprecatingly. "We ask your excellency's pardon if
we have frightened you."

"Frightened me!" echoed Thugut, in a tone of unmeasured contempt.
"As if you were the men to frighten ME! I knew that you would come,
and I knew, too, who had bribed you to do it. Yes, yes, I know they
have paid you well, Mr. Wenzel, to get up a riot--they have given
you shining ducats for leading a mob into my house. But will their
ducats be able to get you out of it again?"

Mr. Wenzel turned very pale; he uttered a shriek and staggered back
a few paces.

"Your excellency knew--" he said.