"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 price--the faction which detests both of
us because we do not join its enthusiastic hymns in honor of the
French Republic and the republican General Bonaparte--this 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