esperate
sobbing.

"Come, Berengar, go," the empress repeated.

The child was still more dismayed by her severity: that was how he
always saw her stare at the crowd, but not at her children. And he threw
himself with the small width of his helpless little arms into her
skirts, embraced her and sobbed, with great, gulping sobs:

"I can't do it, mamma, I can't do it!"

"You must, Berengar...."

"And ... and ... and I _shan't_, I _shan't!_" the boy screamed, in a
sudden fury, stamping his foot.

The empress did nothing but look at him, very long, very long. Her
reproachful glance crushed the boy. He sobbed aloud and seemed to forget
that his little friends outside would be sure to hear his highness
sobbing. He saw that there was nothing to be done, that he must do it.
He must! His imperial highness Berengar Marquis of Thracyna, knight of
St. Ladislas, must say he was sorry to a sentry and one moreover who
denied him, his highness, his rights.

His medieval little childish soul was all upset by it. He understood
nothing more. He only saw that he must do as he was told, because his
mother looked at him with such a sad expression:

"Othomar!" he sobbed, in his despair. "Othomar! Will ... you ... go with
me ... then? But how am I to do it, how am I to do it?"

Othomar smiled to him compassionately and held out his hand to him. The
empress nodded to the princes to go.

"How am I to do it? O God, how am I to do it?" she still heard
Berengar's voice sobbing desperately in the lobby.

Elizabeth had turned deadly pale. As soon as she was alone, she sank
into a chair, with her head flung back. Helene of Thesbia entered at
this moment:

"Madam!" cried the young countess. "What is it?"

The empress put out her hand; Helene felt that it was icy cold.

"Nothing, Helene," she replied. "But Berengar frightened me so terribly.
I thought ... I thought they were murdering him!"

And in an hysterical fit of spasmodic sobbing she threw herself into the
countess' arms.

4

That night, before Othomar left with his equerries to dine at the French
ambassador's, he drew Dutri aside:

"I see, prince, that her excellency the duchess confides in you fully,"
he said, in curt tones. "I do not doubt that her confidence is well
placed. But I assure you of this: if it should ever appear that it was
misplaced, I shall never--now or at any later period--forget it...."

Dutri looked up strangely; he heard his future emperor addres