of his lawful inheritance. By trickery I
was compelled to regain it. However, I do not wish to make an enemy of
you, Monseigneur. I have here two letters. They come from Rome. In one
is your recall, in the other a cardinal's hat. Which do you prefer?"

"Surely not the cardinal's hat," said the prelate. "Listen to me,
Madame, for I have something to say to you which will cause you some
reflection. If I had any ambitions, they are gone; if I had any dreams,
they have vanished. Madame, some twenty years ago your duchy was
created. It was not done to please Albrecht's younger brother, the duke,
your father. Albrecht was childless. When your father was given the
duchy it was done to exclude forever the house of Auersperg from
reigning on this throne. You say that you were tricked; well, and so was
I. Unhappily I touched the deeper current too late.

"This poor king, who lies silent in the palace, was not my puppet.
I wished to make him great, and bask in his greatness. But in that I
failed; because Leopold was a poet and a philosopher, and the greatness
of earthly things did not concern him. Leopold and I were dupes of
Austria, as you are at this moment, Madame. So long as Leopold reigned
peacefully he was not to be disturbed. Had you shown patience and
resignation, doubtless to-day you would be a queen. You will never be
more than a duchess.

"Madame, you have done exactly as Austria intended you should. There
is no longer any kingdom." There was a subdued triumph in his eyes. "To
you," with a gesture toward the courtiers and office-seekers, "to you I
shall say, your own blind self-interest has destroyed you. Madame, you
are bearing arms not against this kingdom, but against Austria, since
from to-day this land becomes the property of the imperial crown. If you
struggle, it will be futilely. For, by this move of yours, Austria
will declare that this kingdom is a menace to the tranquility of the
confederation. Madame, there is no corner-stone to your edifice. This is
what I wished to say to you. I have done. Permit me to withdraw."

For a moment his auditors were spellbound; then all the emotions of the
mind and heart portrayed themselves on the circle of faces. Madame's
face alone was inscrutable.

"His Excellency, the Austrian ambassador!" announced the orderly.

The archbishop bowed and left the apartment.

"Your Highness," began the Austrian, "his Imperial Majesty commands your
immediate evacuation of Bleiberg, an