ened and nothing more. But now, in these days of busy
celebrations in honour of the prince who was visiting their court, with
the ferment of popular discontent like a turbid, gloomy element beneath
the surface brilliancy of all their imperial display, the memory of it
revived and the terrors and shudders became more and more plainly
defined in his imagination and at one moment he felt his former nervous
weakness come over him to such an extent that he found an excuse to
summon Professor Barzia from Altara and had a long interview with the
specialist of which he did not even speak to the Duchess of Xara. When
the professor had gone, Othomar felt relieved and strengthened; only the
thought lingered within him that it was not right for a future sovereign
to be so much under the influence of a stronger mind as he was under
that of Barzia; and he proposed next time not to call in the professor's
power of suggestion, but to cure himself, in the privacy of his own
soul. This plan, to rely on his own strength in future, made him find
himself again for good and all....

The day after his interview with Barzia, he spent the whole morning and
afternoon in the company of the Prince of Naples, with whom he visited
different places and, in so doing, displayed a gaiety and liveliness
which were rarely witnessed in the Duke of Xara. The members of their
suite were astonished at this radiant cheerfulness of the crown-prince,
in whom they had grown used to perceiving always a strain of melancholy.
That evening there was a great state-banquet at the Imperial. After
dinner, the imperial family were to accompany their guest to the Opera,
where a gala-performance was to take place and a famous tenor was to
sing.

In these days, whenever the imperial family appeared in public, severe
precautionary measures were taken under the guise of glittering display.
A strong and close-packed escort of cuirassiers pranced round the
carriages which drove that night to the great opera-house. The street at
the side of the building containing the emperor's private entrance was
closed off; a guard of honour lined the staircase; the secret police
mingled with the expectant audience, which included all the smart
society of the capital....

The imperial box, with its dark-violet draperies and gold tassels, was
just over the stage of the colossal theatre. The first act was
finished--they were playing _Aida_--when the trumpet-blasts clanged out
from the orchest