ainst anybody, for he is a peace-loving man."

"But I know his weak spot which you have only to touch with your
little finger to rouse him to blows and make a lion out of a lamb. I
will bring him to the point."

At this moment the door opened and to the astonishment of all the
Princess entered. This time her appearance was no chance. It was easy
to see by the excitement in her face that she knew well what had
happened. The lords grew confused and Apafi himself was so dismayed,
in spite of the irascibility incident to his drunkenness, that he
whispered to Teleki,

"Put that paper aside."

Teleki alone remained composed and instead of putting it aside spread
it out the more.

"What are my lords doing?" asked Madame Apafi; she was pale and her
bosom heaved.

"We are taking counsel," answered Teleki, firmly.

"You are taking counsel?" asked Anna, approaching nearer to the
table.

"At the same time we would put to your Grace the question, who gave
you the right to disturb us when we are making decisions about the
most important affairs of the country?" continued Teleki, in a hard
tone of voice.

"You are making decisions about the most important affairs of the
country," replied Madame Apafi, slowly repeating Teleki's words, while
she looked at him sharply; then suddenly she broke out in a resonant
voice,--"and that over your wine cups! You consult about the fate of
the country while the man at its head is intoxicated, so that you may
bring all to confusion."

Teleki sprang from his seat and turned to the Prince.

"May it please your Majesty to dismiss us? Evidently a domestic scene
is in progress."

"Anna," cried Apafi, red with shame and the glow of the wine, "leave
this hall this instant. It is our order and from this day on for a
week do not appear again before our eyes."

"Very well, Apafi. I have nothing more to say to you for you are not
in your senses. But to you, my Lord High Counsellor, who are always
sober, I have a word to say:--I raised you from the dust; I helped you
to your present position; in gratitude for this you have forced
yourself between my heart and the Prince's so that whenever I would
approach my husband I find you in my path. You have taken the sceptre
out of the Prince's hand and in its stead you have forced into his
hand the headsman's sword, so that he begins to rule by that. Now let
me tell you that if I am not allowed to get to the Prince's heart yet
I will stand in the way o