"I have received her petition already," said Joseph, "what does the girl want?"
"Does not your Majesty remember me?" asked Ráby in a low voice.
The Emperor scanned him sharply with no sign of recognition.
"I have never seen you before," he exclaimed coldly. "What is your name?"
"Sire, I am Mathias Ráby!"
His Majesty clasped his hands with a vivid gesture of surprise.
"Ráby! is it possible? Have you lost your reason then that you dress thus? Whence do you come in this masquerading attire?"
"From the dungeons of the Pesth Assembly House, Sire."
The Emperor seized him by the hand, and drew him without a word into his cabinet.
Two secretaries there were very busy sorting documents. The Emperor led the Serb peasant girl up to them.