ertainly not say in the presence of a subject,
not even in that of one of his highest subjects...."

The emperor tried to interrupt her.

"Your majesty," continued the empress, with a haughty tremor, cutting
the words from him with her icy-cold, trembling voice as though with a
knife, "is saying these things of the future Emperor of Lipara ... and I
wish _no_ subject, not even Count Myxila, to hear such things; and,
moreover, your majesty is saying these things of _my son_: therefore I
do not wish to hear them myself, sir! Excellency, I request you once
more to come with me."

"Go then!" shouted the emperor, like a madman. "Go, both of you: yes,
leave me alone, leave me alone!"

He walked furiously up and down, flung the chairs one against the other,
roared like an angry caged lion. He took a bronze statue from a bracket
in front of a tall mirror that rose to the ceiling in gilt arabesques:

"There then!" he lashed out, while his passion seemed to seethe mistily
in his bewildered brain, to shoot red lightning-flashes from his
bloodshot eyes, to drive him mad because of his impotence against the
senseless fate and logic of circumstance.

Like an athlete he brandished the heavy statue through the air; like a
child he hurled it at the great mirror, which fell clattering in a
flicker of shreds.

The empress and Myxila had left the room.

3

The ordinary court-life continued; the empress' first drawing-room took
place. The reception-rooms leading to the great presence-chamber were
lit up, though it was day-time; the ladies entered, handed their cards
to the grand chamberlain, signed their names and waited until their
titles were called out by the masters of ceremonies. They stood in
low-necked dresses; the long white veils fell in misty folds of gauze
from the feathers and jewelled tiaras. It was the first display of the
new costumes of the season, the fashion which had sprung into life and
now moved and had its being; but the crowded rooms seemed but the
antechambers of that display and the upgathered trains gave an
impression of preparation for the solemn second, the momentary
appearance before her majesty.

The Duchess of Yemena was waiting, her train also thrown over her arm,
with the two marchionesses her stepdaughters, whom she was about to
present to the empress, when she saw Dutri, bowing, apologizing,
twisting through the expectant ladies, to make way for himself through
the crowded room:

"Dutri,