pair step on the balcony. Hats are thrown up towards them; the yelling
bellows with a shout as from a single noisy, vulgar throat and echoes
through the open doors against the gilt ceiling and columns of the white
hall. The empress is frightened by it, turns pale; her breath
catches....

On the balcony the Emperor of Liparia salutes his excited people with a
solitary wave of the hand; the Duke of Xara bows his head slightly.

2

There was no more talk of a revision of the constitution and reform of
the hereditary house of peers. The constitutional majority of
three-fourths which is required in the house of deputies before such a
proposal can be taken into consideration, though there at first, no
longer existed after the new elections. Oscar, immediately after his
return from Altara, had shown them his daring strength. Lipara was
surrounded with troops: this was as well, for the manoeuvres, for the
King of Syria, who was expected. The forts were strengthened, the fleet
lay in the harbour; then came the imperial decree that the house of
deputies should simply ... be dissolved. What an outcry, after the
promulgation of that decree, in the newspapers and in the streets! For
one moment, at night, there was an abortive riot. But the emperor,
furious with the Marquis of Dazzara for his delay in taking prompt and
energetic measures, had next day affirmed his august dissatisfaction.
The marquis was shown that there were moments when the emperor was not
to be trifled with; the emperor dismissed him personally, on the spot,
and told him he could go. Crushed, his eyes full of despair, the marquis
left the Imperial; in the fore-court his carriage crossed that of the
Duke of Mena-Doni, lieutenant-general of the hussars; he saw the duke's
sensual, Neronic head, covetous with ambition, staring up at the front
of the palace. The marquis threw himself back in his carriage, wringing
his hands and weeping like a child....

That same morning martial law was proclaimed at Lipara and the Duke of
Mena-Doni appointed governor of the capital. With a great military
display and a speech of three words the emperor dissolved the house of
deputies. The people trembled, beaten off, thrashed, reduced to
crouching at the imperial feet. The decree was issued for the general
election. Must the people be chastised to make them attached to their
emperor? Was it because of the innumerable articles in the newspapers of
the northern provinces--Altara,