ardy fugitives still come thronging in, poor ones now and indigent, who
had not been able to fly earlier, who had been still hoping; through the
crush Prince Dutri, panting, cursing, on horseback, terror in his eyes,
strives to reach the statue; the distant murmur as of a sea comes nearer
and nearer. Men scatter along the streets, on foot or in boats; the
disordered procession, with the glitter of its reliquary, seeming to
reel on the billows of a human sea, scatters towards the church.

"Is not even the square safe?" asks Othomar.

He can hardly speak, his chest seems cramped as it were with iron, his
eyes fill with tears, an immense despair of impotence and pity suffuses
his soul.

The mayor shakes his head:

"The square lies lower than the suburbs, highness; you cannot remain
here. For God's sake go back to the Episcopal in a boat!..."

But the princes insist on remaining, though the murmur grows louder and
louder.

"Go into the church in that case, highnesses: that is the only safe
place left," the mayor beseeches. "I beg you, for God's sake!"

The square is already swept clean, the torch-bearers lead the princes to
the steps of the church; the Zanthos comes billowing on, like a soft
thunder skimming the ground.

Inside the church the organ sounds; they sing, they pray all through the
night. And the whole night long everything outside remains chaotically
black, gently murmuring....

When the first dawn pales over the sky, which begins in the distance to
assume tints of rose and grey, faint opal and mother-of-pearl, Othomar
and Herman and the equerries emerge on the steps of the church.

The square stands under water; the houses rise out of the water; the
statue of Othomar III. waves its bronze arm and sword over a lake that
ripples in the morning breeze.

From the Therezia Square to the Cathedral Square everything lies under
water.

6

"TO HER IMPERIAL MAJESTY THE EMPRESS OF LIPARIA

"THE EPISCOPAL,
"ALTARA,
"--_March_, 18--.

"MY ADORED MOTHER,

"Your letter reproaches me with not writing to you two days ago, without
delay; forgive me, for my thoughts have so constantly been full of you.
But I felt so tired yesterday, after a busy day, and I lacked the
strength to write to you in the evening. Let me tell you now of my
experiences.

"You describe to me the terrible impression produ