“You shall have them to-morrow; to-morrow morning early, Kwoib,” replied the indignant tradesman.
“No, I want them to-night. You’ve promised me them all the week, and I’m going to have those trousers of mine to-night.”
“Man, don’t make such a scandalous row! Just think where you are—before the ministers of the republican council!”
“The ministers and the council and the whole republic may be stolen, for all I care! I want my trousers, and I’m not going away from here before I get them.” And therewith he took a chair, and seated himself among the ministers of the crown.
“Will you get out or not?” asked Bauer, threateningly.
“No; I’m not going before I get my trousers.”
Suddenly Bloemstein heard the steps of his wife and daughter, who were coming to see what the noise was. Fearing that they might come in for this unseemly spectacle, he thrust the intruder into the next room, with the words, “There; you’ll find some trousers in there; just put them on in the meantime.”
Not long after, Hermes appeared in a garment much too short for him, which, however, by way of compensation, was also a great deal too wide.
The assembly was now able to finish its deliberations in peace and quiet. The portraits having been unanimously approved of, No. 2 of the Agenda came up for discussion. This was, “Declaration of war against Holland on the ground of high treason.” The debate was lively and confused.
Bauer wanted to summon his men at once, surprise Maastricht the same night, take the garrison prisoners, and march farther into the country.
Conrads, on the other hand, could see no good in such incautious haste. “Let’s wait till we get the corn in; then we can bake bread for our men through the war.”
“No need of that!” shouted Bauer. “We’ll get all the bread we want from the Dutch.”
Holzert was inclined to agree with Conrads, but for other reasons. “We must ask for explanations first; that’s always the way,” he declared. “We ought to give them time to investigate the outrage committed on our president, and make their apologies. Besides that,” he added, “till we have stamps of our own we can’t declare war.”
“That’s true, that’s true!” cried several voices, “it would never do to declare war on Holland with Prussian stamps.”