May 5, 1801.
Vienna.
In an inconspicuous building two streets south of Schonbrunn Palace, Count Urfelt, wearing a broad ingratiating smile, bowed to the middle‑aged man seated across the table:
"Director, you know, Gloria must have only been passing by and got curious, so she went over to have a look.
"She's a very well‑bred child; there is no way she would take part in that sort of thing…"
This noon, Gloria had been arrested by the Secret Police at a gathering of Liberals, so he had immediately rushed over to "clear up the misunderstanding."
"Please sit down, Your Excellency." Belle, head of the Vienna East District Secret Police, gestured at the chair and, after hesitating a moment, continued, "With all due respect, you may not know your daughter well enough."
"What do you mean by that?"
Belle handed him a few sheets of paper. "This is your daughter's statement. Oh, rest assured, she has not been harmed in any way; she volunteered all of this herself."
