“Victoria implores you, through my mouth, to trust her and never to doubt of her friendship. I beg you to receive the same assurance as far as I am concerned. You have rendered both of us so happy, my dear baron; you were the mediator of a marriage in which both of us, Victoria as well as myself, have found the highest bliss on earth, and never shall we cease to be grateful to you for it; nor shall we ever be able or willing to do without your advice and assistance. You are our head, we are your arms, and the head commanding the arms, we shall always obey you. Victoria implores you to tell her any thing you desire, so that she may give you forthwith a proof of her willingness to serve you. She has charged me to ask you to do so as a proof of your friendship.”
“Well,” said Thugut, laughing, “I accept your offer, as well as that of your beautiful wife Victoria. Count Lehrbach has been appointed minister and he wants even to move to-morrow into the chancery of state. We will let him move in early in the morning, but, in the course of the day, the emperor will do well to send him his dismissal, for Count Lehrbach is unworthy of being his majesty’s minister of state. His hand is stained with the blood which was shed at Rastadt, and a minister’s hand must be clean.”
“But whom shall we appoint minister in Lehrbach’s place?”
“Count Louis Cobenzl, for his name will offer the best guaranty of our pacific intentions toward France.”
“But Count Cobenzl is to go to Luneville to attend the peace conference.”
“Let him do so, and until his return let Count Trautmannsdorf temporarily discharge the duties of his office.”
“Ah, that is true, that is a splendid idea!” exclaimed Count Colloredo, joyfully. “You are a very sagacious and prudent statesman, and I shall hasten to lay your advice before the emperor. You may rest assured that every thing shall be done in accordance with your wishes. Lehrbach remains minister until to-morrow at noon; he then receives his dismissal, Count Louis Cobenzl will be appointed his successor, and Count Trautmannsdorf will temporarily discharge the duties of the office until Cobenzl’s return from Luneville. Shall it be done in this manner?”
“Yes, it shall,” said Thugut, almost sternly.
“But this does not fulfil Victoria’s prayer,” said the count, anxiously. “I am able to attend to these matters, but Victoria also wants to give you a proof of her friendship.”
“Well, I ask her to prepare a little joke for me and you,” replied Thugut. “Count Lehrbach will move early to-morrow morning with his whole furniture into the chancery of state. I beg Victoria to bring it about that he must move out to-morrow evening with his whole furniture, like a martin found in the dove-cote.” [Footnote: Thugut’s wishes were fulfilled. Count Lehrbach lost on the very next day his scarcely-obtained portfolio, and he was compelled to remove the furniture which, in rude haste he had sent to the chancery of state in the morning, in the course of the same evening.—Vide Hormayer’s “Lebensbilder,” vol. i., p. 330.]