The King sighed; for the very name of them had become a weariness to him. The whole agitation, with its dim confused scufflings against law and order, and its demonstrations idiotically recurring at the most inopportune moments, had profoundly vexed him. Years ago he had received the bland assurance of his ministers that the whole thing would soon die down and cease; but it was still going on, and was now taking to itself worse forms than ever. "What is it that they want?" he exclaimed, not quite meaning it as a question; rather as expressing the opinion that the subject was a hopeless one. "They want a great many things," said his daughter; "they've got what they call 'grievances'; I know very little about them; they may be right or wrong--that isn't the point. The only thing that concerns you, papa, is that they want to come and see you; and they are not allowed to." "Come and see me?" "Yes; bring you a petition." "What about?" "To have their grievances looked into." "_I_ can't look into their grievances." "No; but you can say that they shall be." The King shook his head. Charlotte did not know what she was talking about. "Yes, papa, that is the position. Of course you haven't the right to make laws or levy taxes, but you can send word to Parliament to say something has got to be considered and decided. And about this, Parliament won't consider and won't decide. And that is why they are trying to get to you with a petition; so that you shall say that it is to be looked into." "But I can't say that sort of thing, my dear." "Yes, you can, papa! It's an old right; the right of unrepresented people to come direct to their sovereign and tell him that his ministers are refusing to do things for them. And your ministers are trying to keep you from knowing about it, to keep you from knowing even that you have such a power; and by not knowing it they are making you break your Coronation oath. Oh, papa, isn't that dreadful to think of?" "My dear, if that were true----" "But it is true, papa! These women are trying to bring you their petition, and they are prevented. The ministers say that you have nothing to do with it; so they go to the ministers--they take their petition to the ministers, and ask them to bring it to you, so that you may give them an answer. Have any of them brought you the petition, papa?" The King shook his head. "You see, they do nothing! And so the women go again, and again, and again, taking their petition with them; and because they are trying to get to you--to say that their grievances shall be looked into, and something done about them--because of that they are being beaten and bruised in the streets; and when they won't turn back then they are arrested and sent to prison." By this time Charlotte was weeping.