The evening of their arrival had been devoted to procuring suitable disguises. The next day Maximilian’s guide had led him through the various public institutions of the city. He had gone into the Royal Courts, where he had seen injustice dispensed under all the forms of law. He had visited the great central infirmary and beheld the miserable patients, dreading the recovery which would dismiss them to the greater misery of their homes. He had passed through the empty churches, and beheld the richly-decorated shrines from which no help came to the baptised heathen of the streets outside. Finally Johann had taken him into the Lower House of the Legislature, having secured a pass from a member of the Extreme Left who was secretly in touch with the revolutionists.
They found the Chamber in a state of unusual excitement over the anticipated visit of the Imperial Kaiser. It had been intimated that only a limited number of the deputies could be admitted to the public ceremony of reception, and this snub had been the signal for a storm of indignation which was at its height when Maximilian entered the gallery. He listened for an hour to the excited deputies, wrangling for the right to pay homage to a despot, and at last remarked with some bitterness to Johann—
“If these are the kind of men whom the people themselves choose to govern them, God help the people!”
“Yes,” said Johann, unmoved; “these are the representatives of the bourgeoisie, and this is how they legislate for the workers.”
They went out, and as the hour of eleven approached Johann drew his companion along towards the market, promising to show him the whole misery of the city at one glance.
When he found himself in the centre of the vile place, and its full details were revealed to him, Maximilian shrank appalled. He had never even conceived the existence of such wretchedness, of such loathsome degradation.
“What is this? Where are we?” he demanded of his guide, clutching him by the arm. “Who are these frightful creatures?”
“Your subjects,” was the grave retort; “those who your Ministers tell you have no grievances and no ungratified desires.”
“But it is horrible. They look more like fantastic goblins than human beings. And the children! Look at the children!”
“Yes,” said Johann, unmoved, for he was familiar with the sight. “Of such is the kingdom of—hell.”