herefore sulking a little, as though he wished to go too, as though
he thought General Ducardi foolish, with his advice....

The gentlemen went. The duchess herself conducted Othomar to the west
wing, pressed him to rest in her own boudoir. Through the windows of the
gallery Othomar saw Herman and the others riding away; he followed them
for an instant with his eyes, then went on with the duchess and across
the courtyard saw a groom lead back to the stables the horse that had
been saddled for him, patting its neck. He was still disturbed by
mingled emotions: the pleasant anticipation of resting, a little anxiety
lest he should betray himself, a certain feeling of shame....

In the boudoir the duchess left him alone. It was quiet there; outside,
the lordly fallow-deer grazed peacefully. The repose of the boudoir of a
woman of the world, with the rich, silent drapery of silken stuffs, the
inviting luxury of soft furniture, the calm brilliancy of ornaments each
a costly object of art, surrounded him with a hushed breathlessness,
like a haze of muslin, fragrant with an indefinable, gentle emanation,
which was that woman's very perfume. The indolence of this present
moment suddenly overwhelmed Othomar, a little strangely, and dissolved
his thoughts in gentle bewilderment. He felt like a runaway horse that
has suddenly been pulled up and stands still.

He sat down for a minute and looked out at the deer. Then he rose,
reflected whether he should ring and thought better to look round for
himself. On the duchess' little writing-table--Japanese lacquer inlaid
with mother-of-pearl landscapes and ivory storks--he found a sheet of
paper, a pencil.

And he wrote:

"To HER MAJESTY ELIZABETH
"EMPRESS OF LIPARIA.

"CASTEL VAZA,
"--_April_, 18--.

"Pray do not be alarmed if the newspapers exaggerate and say that I am
ill. I was a little fatigued and Ducardi advised me to rest to-day.
Herman and the others have gone on; to-morrow I hope myself to lead our
second expedition from here. The day after that we go to Lycilia.

"OTHOMAR."

Then he rang and, when the footman appeared:

"My valet, Andro."

In a few moments Andro appeared. "Ask for a horse, Andro," said Othomar,
"ride to Vaza and dispatch this telegram as quickly as you can to her
majesty the empress...."