Essentially, the case is
empty. We have, already presented, a large note for material of
war.'
'Material of war?' exclaimed Otto, with an excellent assumption of
surprise. 'But if my memory serves me right, we settled these
accounts in January.'
'There have been further orders,' the Baron explained. 'A new park
of artillery has been completed; five hundred stand of arms, seven
hundred baggage mules - the details are in a special memorandum. -
Mr. Secretary Holtz, the memorandum, if you please.'
'One would think, gentlemen, that we were going to war,' said Otto.
'We are,' said Seraphina.
'War!' cried the Prince, 'and, gentlemen, with whom? The peace of
Grunewald has endured for centuries. What aggression, what insult,
have we suffered?'
'Here, your Highness,' said Gotthold, 'is the ultimatum. It was in
the very article of signature, when your Highness so opportunely
entered.'
Otto laid the paper before him; as he read, his fingers played
tattoo upon the table. 'Was it proposed,' he inquired, 'to send
this paper forth without a knowledge of my pleasure?'
One of the non-combatants, eager to trim, volunteered an answer.
'The Herr Doctor von Hohenstockwitz had just entered his dissent,'
he added.
'Give me the rest of this correspondence,' said the Prince. It was
handed to him, and he read it patiently from end to end, while the
councillors sat foolishly enough looking before them on the table.
Pages:
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127