The Premier halted suddenly in his nervous walk.
“You told him the whole scheme, you say?”
“I did.”
“And his reply?”
“Was, that the King had discovered it, and proposed insisting on an enquiry.”
“And then?”
“Well! Then he warned me to look out for myself,—as anyone connected with Carl Pérousse’s financial deal would inevitably be ruined during the next few weeks.”
“Who is going to work the ruin?” asked the Marquis with a sneer; “Do you not know that if the King dared to give an opinion on a national crisis, he would be dethroned?”
“There are the People—” began Jost.
“The People! Human emmets—born for crushing under the heel of power! A couple of ‘leaders’ in your paper, Jost, can guide the fool-mob any way!”