'But it was announced urbi et orbi by the sound of the bells,' replied the Italian approaching him.
'Yes, but the bells ring all the same for funeral or wedding; you might even suppose that a princess was born and that they called you to rejoice.'
'Poor King,' Faustina sighed.
'Yes,' said Watzdorf maliciously, 'he lived long, had at least three hundred mistresses, scattered millions, drank rivers of wine, wore out plenty of horses' shoes, and cut off many heads--was it not time after such labour to lie down to rest?'
None ventured to interrupt the speaker; Hasse eyed him furtively.
'What will happen next?' asked Faustina.
'We had an opera called Il re Augusto, we shall now have a new, but will it be a better one? The daughter of the emperors, Padre Guarini, Padre Salerno, Padre Toyler and Padre Kopper. Faustina shall sing as she used to sing before; Hasse shall compose operas as he composed before. It will be worse for us court composers when the first rôles are taken by foreign pages and foreign lackeys.'
Hasse bowed and said in a low voice:
'Enough! Enough! Suppose someone should be listening at the door. It is dangerous even to listen to such a speech as yours!'
Watzdorf shrugged his shoulders.