"Why, it is the emperor himself."
"It is also the King of Hungary, for whom thousands of Hungarians would lay down their lives."
The girl knitted her brows, as if trying to solve some knotty problem.
"I don't understand," she said. "You fight against the emperor, yet you profess great devotion to the King of Hungary, who is the same person."
"Yet it is very simple. The Magyar's first love is for his country, his second for the king. Now, as emperor, Ferdinand has taken away our rights, which we must have back. When we get them, no king will have more loyal subjects than Ferdinand."
"But I understood you were all republicans," said the baroness.
"We are royalists, madam," replied Stephen.
"Who will fight for a republic. That is what Kossuth wants. We know here what the pulling of the wires will lead to. If your countrymen succeed in this war, they will become the subjects, not of King Ferdinand, but of Dictator Kossuth."
"Listen!" I exclaimed. "The street is filled with people."
The windows in the lower part of the house were already secured by heavy wooden shutters, and now we heard Franz barring the door at the main entrance.