YELLOW HOSE.  Salts!  Bring the Lady Violetta’s salts.

BLUE HOSE.  The Lady Violetta has fainted!

(URSULA enters hurriedly bearing a smelling-bottle.)

URSULA.  Here, here—­What has happened?  Oh, My Lady, my sweet mistress!

POMPDEBILE.  Some wretch has stolen the tarts.

(LADY VIOLETTA moans.)

URSULA.  Bring some water.  I will take off her headdress and bathe her forehead.

VIOLETTA (sitting up).  I feel better now.  Where am I?  What is the matter?  I remember.  Oh, my poor tarts!

(She buries her face in her hands.)

CHANCELLOR (suspiciously).  Your Majesty, this is very strange.

URSULA (excitedly).  I know, Your Majesty.  It was the Knave.  One of the Queen’s women, who was walking in the garden, saw the Knave jump out of this window with a tray in his hand.  It was the Knave.

VIOLETTA.  Oh, I don’t think it was he.  I don’t, really.

POMPDEBILE.  The scoundrel.  Of course it was he.  We shall banish him for this or have him beheaded.

CHANCELLOR.  It should have been done long ago, Your Majesty.

POMPDEBILE.  You are right.

CHANCELLOR.  Your Majesty will never listen to me.

POMPDEBILE.  We do listen to you.  Be quiet.

VIOLETTA.  What are you going to do, Pompy, dear?

POMPDEBILE.  Herald, issue a proclamation at once.  Let it be known all over the Kingdom that I desire that the Knave be brought here dead or alive.  Send the royal detectives and policemen in every direction.

CHANCELLOR.  Excellent; just what I should have advised had Your
Majesty listened to me.

POMPDEBILE (in a rage).  Be quiet. (Exit HERALD.) I never have a brilliant thought but you claim it.  It is insufferable!

(The HERALDS can be heard in the distance.)

CHANCELLOR.  I resign.

POMPDEBILE.  Good.  We accept your thirty-eighth resignation at once.

CHANCELLOR.  You did me the honor to appoint me as your Chancellor, Your Majesty, yet never, never do you give me an opportunity to chancel.  That is my only grievance.  You must admit, Your Majesty, that as your advisers advise you, as your dressers dress you, as your hunters hunt, as your bakers bake, your Chancellor should be allowed to chancel.  However, I will be just—­as I have been with you so long; before I leave you, I will give you a month’s notice.

POMPDEBILE.  That isn’t necessary.

CHANCELLOR (referring to the constitution hanging at his belt). 
It’s in the constitution.

POMPDEBILE.  Be quiet.

VIOLETTA.  Well, I think as things have turned out so—­so unfortunately, I shall change my gown. (To URSULA) Put out my cloth of silver with the moonstones.  It is always a relief to change one’s gown.  May I have my handkerchief, Pompy?  Rather a pretty one, isn’t it, Pompy?  Of course you don’t object to my calling you Pompy now.  When I’m in trouble it’s a comfort, like holding your hand.