The King. Well, what of him?

Falbe.--has been a.s.sa.s.sinated!

The King. The Minister of the Interior?--Gran?

Falbe. Yes.

The King. Gran?--What did you say?

Falbe. He has been a.s.sa.s.sinated!

The King. Gran? Impossible!--Where? Why? I heard his voice only just now, here!

Falbe. That fellow shot him--the grey-haired fellow--the republican

The King. Flink? Yes, I heard his voice here too!

Falbe. It was in the park! I saw it myself!

The King. Saw it yourself? Wretch! (Rushes out.)

Falbe. How could I prevent a madman--? (Follows the KING. The door stands open, and through it a man is seen running past, calling out: "Where?" Others follow him, and amidst the sound of hurrying feet, cries are heard of "Good G.o.d!"--"In the park, did you say?"--"A doctor!

Fetch a doctor!"--"Who did it?"--"That fellow running towards the river!"--"After him! After him!"--"Fetch a barrow from the works!"--After a while the KING returns alone, looking distracted. He stands motionless and silent for some time.)

The King. What a happy smile there was on his face! Just as she smiled!--Yes, it must be happiness! (Hides his face in his hands.) And he died for me too! My two only--. (Breaks down.) So that is the price they have to pay for loving me!--And at once! At once!--Of course! Of course! (The sound of the crowd returning is heard, and cries of: "This way!"--"Into the blue room!" Women and children come streaming in, all in tears, surrounding ANNA and the men that are carrying GRAN'S body, and follow them into the room on the left. Cries are heard of: "Why should he die?"--"He was so good!"--"What had he done to deserve it!"--"He was the best man in the world!")

The King. "He was the best man in the world!" Yes. And he died for my sake! That means something good of me!--the best possible! Are they two together now, I wonder? Oh, let me have a sign!--or is that too much to ask? (The crowd come out again, sobbing and weeping, and cries are heard of: "He looks so beautiful and peaceful!"--"I can't bring myself to believe it!" When they see the KING, they hush their voices, and all go out as quietly as they can. When they have gone out, the MAYOR's voice is heard asking: "Is he in here?" and an answer: "No, in the blue room, over there." Then the GENERAL'S voice: "And the murderer escaped?"--An answer: "They are looking for him in the river!"--The GENERAL'S voice: "In the river? Did he jump into the river?"--The PRIEST's voice: "Shocking!" A few moments later the GENERAL with BANG, the MAYOR, and the PRIEST come in from the other room. They stop on seeing the KING, who is standing at the desk with his back to them, and whisper.)

The General. Isn't that the King?

The Others. The King?

The Mayor. Is the King back? He must have come in the night!

Bang. Let me see!--I know him personally.

The General (holding him back). Of course it is the King.

The Mayor. Really?

Bang. I recognise him by his agitation! It is he.

The General. Hush! Let us go quietly out again! (They begin to move off.)

The Mayor. He is grieved. Naturally.

Bang. First of all her death; and then this--!

The Priest. It is the judgment of heaven!

The King (turning round). Who is that? What? (Comes forward.) Who said that? (They all stop, take off their hats and bow.) Come back! (They come back hastily.) Who said: "It is the judgment of heaven"?

The General. Your Majesty must forgive us--we were just taking a little stroll; I am here to spend Christmas with my friend Mr. Bang, who has a factory here--a branch of his works--and we happened to meet the Mayor and the Priest, and we joined company--and were strolling along when we heard a shot. A shot. We did not think anything more about it till we came nearer here and saw people running, and heard a great outcry and disturbance. Great disturbance--yes. We stopped, of course, and came to see what it was. Came to see what it was, of course. And they told us that the Minister of the Interior--

The King. What is all that to me! (The GENERAL bows.) Who said: "It is the judgment of heaven"? (No one speaks.) Come, answer me!

The Mayor. It was the Priest--I fancy.

The King (to the PRIEST). Haven't you the courage to tell me so yourself?

The General. Probably our reverend friend is unaccustomed to find himself in the presence of royalty.

The Priest. It is the first time that--that I have had the honour of speaking to your Majesty--I did not feel self-possessed enough, for the moment, to--

The King. But you were self-possessed enough when you said it! What did you mean by saying it was "the judgment of heaven"?--I am asking you what you meant by it.

The Priest. I really don't quite know--it slipped out--

The King. That is a lie! Some one said: "First of all her death, and then this." And you said: "It is the judgment of heaven."

The Mayor. That is quite right, your Majesty.

The King. First of all _her_ death? That meant the death of my betrothed, didn't it?

Bang and The Priest. Yes, your Majesty.

The King. "And then _this_" meant my friend--my dear friend! (With emotion.) Why did heaven condemn these two to death? (A pause.)

The General. It is most regrettable that we should, quite involuntarily, have disturbed your Majesty at a moment when your Majesty's feelings are, naturally, so overcome--

The King (interrupting him). I asked you why heaven condemned these two to death. (To the VICAR.) You are a clergyman; cudgel your brains!

The Priest. Well, your Majesty, I was thinking that--I meant that--that heaven had in a miraculous way checked your Majesty--

The General. "Ventured to check" would be more suitable, I think.

The Priest.--from continuing in a course which many people thought so unfortunate--I mean, so fatal to the nation, and the church; had checked your Majesty--

The General (in an undertone). Ventured to check.

The Priest.--by taking away from your Majesty the two persons who--the two persons who--in the first place the one who--

The King. The one who--?

The Priest. Who was--

The King. Who was--? A harlot that wanted to sit on the throne?