Leopold promptly answered: "I won't."
"Yes, you will, Imperial Highness, for such are my orders," cried the court chaplain.
Leopold said doggedly, "I kneel before the altar and before the Emperor, if he demands it, not before such as you."
"Suppose I call on your Imperial Highness's mother and ask her to forbid you to mount a horse for a month or so?" queried our tormentor.
Horseback riding was Leopold's chief pleasure, and the chaplain had no sooner launched his threat, when Leopold opened the window and apparently jumped out. As the school-room was situated in the third story, the teacher thought his pupil dead on the pavement below, but Leopold was merely hanging on to the stone coping and shutters. That gave him the whip hand over the teacher. "I will let go if you don't promise not to inform mother," demanded the twelve-year-old boy.
"I promise, only come in," moaned the teacher.
"Promise furthermore there shall be no punishment whatever for what I did and said."
"None whatever, your Imperial Highness."
The chaplain did as ordered and Leopold crawled back to safety.