I'll send Eugene to him, as you suggest. Meanwhile prepare him. Make your stand-point this: Children are needful to my dynasty, And if one woman cannot mould them for me, Why, then, another must. [Exit NAPOLEON abruptly. Dancing continues. MADAME METTERNICH sits on, musing. Enter SCHWARZENBERG.] MADAME METTERNICH The Emperor has just left me. We have tapped This theme and that; his empress and--his next. Ay, so! Now, guess you anything? SCHWARZENBERG Of her? No more than that the stock of Romanoff Will not supply the spruce commodity. MADAME METTERNICH And that the would-be customer turns toe To our shop in Vienna. SCHWARZENBERG Marvellous; And comprehensible but as the dream Of Delaborde, of which I have lately heard. It will not work!--What think you, madame, on't? MADAME METTERNICH That it will work, and is as good as wrought!-- I break it to you thus, at his request. In brief time Prince Eugene will wait on you, And make the formal offer in his name. SCHWARZENBERG Which I can but receive _ad referendum_, And shall initially make clear as much, Disclosing not a glimpse of my own mind! Meanwhile you make good Metternich aware? MADAME METTERNICH I write this midnight, that amaze may pitch To coolness ere your messenger arrives. SCHWARZENBERG This radiant revelation flicks a gleam On many circling things!--the courtesies Which graced his bearing toward our officer Amid the tumults of the late campaign, His wish for peace with England, his affront At Alexander's tedious-timed reply... Well, it will thrust a thorn in Russia's side, If I err not, whatever else betide! [Exeunt. The maskers surge into the foreground of the scene, and their motions become more and more fantastic. A strange gloom begins and intensifies, until only the high lights of their grinning figures are visible. These also, with the whole ball- room, gradually darken, and the music softens to silence.] SCENE II PARIS. THE TUILERIES [The evening of the next day. A saloon of the Palace, with folding-doors communicating with a dining-room. The doors are flung open, revealing on the dining-table an untouched dinner, NAPOLEON and JOSEPHINE rising from it, and DE BAUSSET, chamberlain- in-waiting, pacing up and down. The EMPEROR and EMPRESS come forward into the saloon, the latter pale and distressed, and patting her eyes with her handkerchief. The doors are closed behind them; a page brings in coffee; NAPOLEON signals to him to leave. JOSEPHINE goes to pour out the coffee, but NAPOLEON pushes her aside and pours it out himself, looking at her in a way which causes her to sink cowering into a chair like a frightened animal.] JOSEPHINE I see my doom, my friend, upon your face! NAPOLEON You see me bored by Cambaceres' ball. JOSEPHINE