unt Olga told me. For ... sparing me at
Altseeborgen. Thank you, Othomar, thank you...."

She put her arm around his neck and gave him a kiss. He kissed her in
return.

And they exchanged their first caress.

2

The next day the imperial family of Liparia travelled back from
Sigismundingen to Lipara. The reception at the central station was most
hearty; the town was covered with bunting; in the evening there were
popular rejoicings. The officers of the various army-corps gave the
crown-prince banquets in honour of his betrothal. The Archduchess
Valerie's portraits were exposed in the windows of all the
picture-shops; the papers contained long articles full of jubilation.

It was a few hours before the dinner given by the officers of the
throne-guards to their imperial colonel when Othomar was, as it were
suddenly, overcome by a strange sensation. He was in his writing-room,
felt rather giddy and had to sit down. The giddiness was slight, but
lasted a long time; for a long time the room seemed to be slowly trying
to turn round him and not to succeed; and this gave a painful impression
of resistance on the part of its lifeless furniture. One of Othomar's
hands rested on his thigh, the other on the ruff of the collie which had
laid its head upon his knee. He remained sitting, bending forward.

When the giddiness had passed, he retained a strange lightness in his
head, as though something had been taken out of it. He leant back
cautiously; the collie, half-asleep, dreamily opened its eyes and then
dozed off again, its head upon Othomar's knee, under his hand. An
irresistible fatigue crept up Othomar's limbs, as though they were
sinking in soft mud. It surprised him greatly, this feeling; and,
looking sideways at the clock, without moving his head, lest he should
bring on the giddiness again, he calculated that he had an hour and a
half before dinner. This prospective interval relieved him and he
remained sitting, as though calculating his fatigue: whether it would
pass, whether it would leave his body.

It lasted a long time, so long indeed that he doubted whether he would
be able to go. When three-quarters of an hour had passed, he pressed the
bell which stood near him on the table. Andro entered.

"Andro...." he began, without continuing.

"Does your highness wish to dress? Everything is put out...."

Othomar just patted the dog's head, as it still lay dozing motionless
against his knee.

"Is your highne