, muttering compassionately, with his strange,
national voice of caress:

"My poor princie!..."

The dawn rose outside; the daylight seemed to push the window-curtains
asunder.

5

The next morning the duchess was to preside at the breakfast-table: she
was in the dining-room with all the gentlemen when Othomar entered, as
the last, with Dutri. His uniform of blue, white and silver fitted him
tightly; and he saluted, smilingly, but a little stiffly, while Herman
shook hands with him and the others bowed, the duchess curtseying
deeply.

"How pale the prince looks!" Leoni said to Ducardi.

It was true: the prince looked very pale; his eyes were dull, but he
bore himself manfully, ate a little fish, trifled with a salmi of game.
Yet the prince's fatigue was so evident that Ducardi asked him, softly,
across the table:

"Is your highness not feeling well?..."

All eyes were raised to Othomar. He wished to give the lie to their
sympathy:

"I'm all right," he replied.

"Did your highness have a bad night?" continued Ducardi.

"Not very good," Othomar was compelled to acknowledge, with a smile.

The conversation continued, the duchess gave it a new turn; but after
breakfast, on the point of departure--the horses stood saddled in the
courtyard--Ducardi said, bluntly:

"We should do better not to go, highness."

Othomar was astonished, refused to understand.

"You look a little fatigued, highness," added Ducardi, shortly; and,
more softly, deprecatingly, "And it's not surprising either, that the
last few days have been too much for you. If your highness will permit
me, I would recommend you to take a rest to-day."

Already a soft feeling of relaxation overcame the prince; he felt too
much delighted at this idea of rest to continue his resistance. Yet his
conscience pricked him at the thought of his father: a feeling of shame
in case the emperor should hear of his exhaustion, which seemed so
clearly evident.

And he absolutely insisted that the expedition should not be abandoned
altogether. He yielded to Ducardi in so far as not to go himself and to
take repose, provided that they thought he needed it; but he urgently
begged Prince Herman and the others to follow the route planned out for
that day and to go. And this he said with youthful haughtiness, already
relieved at the thought of the day of repose before him--a whole day,
unexpectedly!--but above all afraid of allowing his joy to be perceived
and t