He stopped before the burgers, and looked at them with an expression of cold, scornful repose.

“What do you want of me?” he asked.

“Help in our need, most gracious excellency,” began the spokesman, “pity for our misfortunes!  We can not pay the new war tax, we—­”

“Ah! just see,” the count interrupted him mockingly; “now you come to me, to sue for my favor.  Your visit, then, to his Electoral Grace, has been in vain.  The Elector has not granted the shameless petition of the citizenship; he has not encroached upon the rights of the Stadtholder appointed by himself to rule here in his stead.  You have thought to circumvent me, and hardly has the lord of the land come hither before you must gain favors from himself.  Well, see what favors you have obtained!  Hardly an hour ago you walked with quick, proud steps into the castle of his Electoral Grace, and now you stand with humble, sad countenances in the antechamber of the Stadtholder in the Mark!  What will you have here, and what have those to do with the Stadtholder who can converse with the Elector himself?”

“Pardon, your excellency, as faithful and humble children of the country, we turned first to our father and lord—­”

“Now stick to that!” interrupted the count warmly, “and desire not to obtain from me what the fatherly heart of your beloved liege lord has denied you.  Go, and never again appear in these parts!  And you, too, my lords, deputies from the duchy of Cleves,” continued the count, striding forward toward the deputies—­“you, too, might reasonably have spared yourselves the trouble of appearing here.  Who has enjoyed the honor of being received by his Electoral Highness need have no necessity for antechambering at the house of his minister and Stadtholder, for all favors and all honors flow from the almighty and exalted person of the Elector himself, and what he has done is good, and what he has said stands fast and is the law.  Therefore, also, whoever has obtained dismissal from his Electoral Grace need no more turn to me, for the sun has shone upon him, and like myself he stands in the shade.”

With these ambiguous words the Stadtholder moved forward, leaving the deputies covered with shame and swelling with indignation, while his countenance had speedily brightened.  With more friendly gestures he now accepted the written petitions, and even listened patiently and condescendingly to those who had only come with oral supplications; promised them redress for their difficulties, exhorted them with loud voice to place confidence in their Stadtholder, appointed by the Elector, and to be assured that whoever turned to him would not sue and plead in vain, if his cause were just, fair, and practicable.

When the count had finished his circuit and stood again at his cabinet door, the baskets were piled high with written petitions, and the count, pointing to these with outstretched right hand, on whose fingers sparkled many a costly jewel, asseverated with loud voice that he would himself open, read, and examine all these writings, and do whatever was in his power.  Then, with a short, gracious nod of dismissal, he retired into his cabinet, followed by the two pages with their baskets.