But the people, once unchained, were not satisfied with mere rejoicings, and hence soon turned the seamy side of their character outwards. The public regarded Esther Gabel, one of the queen's waiting-women, as Struensee's mistress. This girl's father had purchased Count Schulin's house, situated in one of the most frequented streets, and by the cabinet minister's orders, and partly at his expense, it was said, had converted it into a public establishment for balls, concerts, and assemblies, with a splendour hitherto unknown in Denmark. Struensee's enemies, however, spread a report that the minister had engaged fifteen pretty English girls to wait on the guests, and the portraits of these girls were hung up to attract the visitors. Toward evening, when the streets were crowded, a man, wearing a gold-laced hat, stopped in front of this house, drew his sword, and shouted to the people as he smashed the lamps: "This house, the English b----, is given up." Scarce had this man--it was Beringskjold--given these instructions, when the mob rushed into the house, destroyed or carried off all the furniture and valuables in it, and smashed every pane of glass. In the upper floor of the large building there still remained a portion of Count Schulin's library, which was afterwards valued at 8,000 dollars, and this now perished, or was stolen. In the cellar was a large stock of spirits; the furious mob naturally forced their way into it, drank what they pleased, and then staved all the wine and rum casks, so that they waded up to the ankles in liquor, and afterwards it took a day and a half to pump the cellar dry. After these desperadoes had finished their barbarous job, and had done damage to the amount of 40,000 species dollars, though without finding the fifteen English beauties, they attacked the "Jungfern Comptoire," which were scattered over the city, and employed for improper purposes: in a few hours only the bare walls remained of these houses, which were sixty in number. The unfortunate girls found in them were dragged into the streets by the hair or legs, and treated with the most cruel brutality.[46]