An Apartment in the Gallery of Paintings at Sans Souci. Enter ALBERT and WEDGEWOOD
in haste, meeting the COUNTESS LANISKA.
ALBERT.
Have you seen the king?
COUNTESS.
His Majesty has not yet appeared.
WEDGEWOOD. A crate of mouldy straw for your warlike government! (Snaps his fingers.) That for your soldier-like system of doing business! I wouldn't give a broken basin for it! Why, the commanding officer has only to say, "Hang me up that tall fellow like a scarecrow," and up he goes—tzck!—or, "Give me that short chap the cat-o'-nine-tails," and, whack, he has it—or, "Shoot me yonder half-dozen specimens of humanity," and bang, 'tis done!
(Enter FREDERICK, followed by HAROLD, unperceived, at the back of the stage.)
ALBERT.
If the king would but listen to reason—
WEDGEWOOD. Ay, but he won't! I never saw such a resolute old curmudgeon; and then he's so proud, too! He's like a hard-baked stone jar—he won't bend anyhow. I know why he gave me his snuff-box: it was because I happened to help myself to a pinch out of the dirty old trumpery! If he, or you, or all of you, by any chance happened to live in England, or any other civilized country, this poor count, and the girl too, would have an impartial hearing before they were condemned.
COUNTESS.
But under this government we have blessings unknown to yours—
WEDGEWOOD. But me no buts, madam! Give me the blessings of living under a government where no man can be condemned without a fair trail by jury, madam. To you Prussians, this is a matter of favor; but to us Englishmen, it is a matter of right!
COUNTESS.
Would to Heaven that my son and this poor girl could have such a trial!—