dying away
in the distance, a haughty, metallic voice is
heard, preceded and followed by a roll of
drums._]

THE VOICE.

Officers--and--men!

THE DUKE.

[_In wild delirium, drawing his sword._]

I come!--I fight!--Laugh, fife! and banners wave!
Fix bayonets! Fall on the whitecoats! Forward!

[_And while the dream-sounds die away toward the
right, swept by the wind, all of a sudden, on the
left, a real military band bursts out; and abruptly,
like the awaking out of a dream, there
is the contrast between the furious battle-music
of the French, and a tame march of Schubert's
Austrian and dance-like, drawing near in the
rosy glow of the morning._]

THE DUKE.

[_Who has turned with a shudder._]

What white thing marching through the dawning day?
The Austrian Infantry!

[_Beside himself, and urging along imaginary
Grenadiers_.]

Ha! Up! and at them!
The enemy!--Fall on them!---Crush them!
Follow on! Follow on! We'll pass across their bodies!

[_With his sword high he rushes at the first ranks
of an Austrian regiment which appears on the
road._]

AN OFFICER.

[_Throwing himself on the_ DUKE _and stopping him._]

For God's sake. Prince!--This is your regiment!

THE DUKE.

[_As if awakening._]

Ah--? This is my--?

[_He falls back; passes his hand across his forehead,
and gazes wildly at the white soldiers who
march past to the sound of the fife. He sees his
destiny, and accepts it. The arm he had raised
for the charge sinks slowly, his fist falls on his
hip; his sword falls into the regulation position,
and, stiff as an automaton, with a toneless
and mechanical voice, the voice of an Austrian
officer, he cries:_]

Halt! Front turn! Eyes right!

THE CURTAIN FALLS AS THE DRILL BEGINS.

[Illustration: large N with a crown above]

[Illustration]

THE SIXTH ACT

_The_ DUKE'S _bedroom at Schoenbrunn. The walls are covered with Gobelin
tapestry. Through folding-doors on the left there is a glimpse of the
china-cabinet. There are also folding-doors on the right and in the
centre. Empire furniture. A little camp-bedstead stands almost in the
middle of the room. Many bunches of violets are scattered about._

_The_ DUKE _is discovered buried in a deep arm-chair, his fingers idly
toying with a large bunch