CHAPTER VIII
AN ANARCHIST KING
The next morning, after breakfast, Maximilian and Auguste Bernal were alone together in the small room which constituted the royal cabinet. It was furnished plainly, with little of that æsthetic display which showed itself in the King’s other apartments, and the walls were lined with volumes of a heavy and forbidding appearance; the presence of which, Maximilian was accustomed to say, exercised a sobering influence upon his mind, and disposed him to deal with serious business.
On this occasion he seemed to be suffering under the reaction from last night’s exciting ordeal, and talked in a wild strain to which even Auguste, used as he was to all his companion’s varied moods, hardly knew how to reply.
“Let us look the situation in the face,” Maximilian was saying, with perfect outward seriousness. “How am I to carry out my promise? Shall I send for Von Sigismark, and order him to proclaim the Millennium?”
“If you do that I am afraid the Chancellor will hand in his resignation,” was the answer.
“Really? I never thought of that. Then I could appoint Herr Mark at once, and leave him to his own devices.”
“And all the other ministers and officials would resign too, and there would be no one to carry on the government. No, seriously, my dear Max, whatever you do you must go to work gradually, and, above all, you must not give the Kaiser an excuse to interfere. I should strongly advise you to try and win over the Chancellor. He may be an old fool, but he is faithful, and his name commands confidence. It will be much better to work through him for a time.”
Maximilian shrugged his shoulders impatiently.
“I dare say you are right. I suppose I must feel my way at first. But I very much doubt whether we shall get Von Sigismark at his age to take kindly to any new departure.”
“Well, you can but try. We do not yet know what this Mark, or whatever his name is, proposes to do. Why not have him in here first, and talk things over with him?”