vately. After lunch he sat for an hour to Thera, who
was painting his portrait. In the afternoon there were always different
things to do: exhibitions, charities, institutions of all kinds to be
visited, a foundation-stone to be laid, a man-of-war to be launched.
Every minute was filled; and each day filled his minutes differently
from the day before. Dinner was always a meal of great etiquette and
splendour; every day there were numerous guests: diplomatists, high
officials, officers. It lasted long; it was an emperor's daily
ceremonial banquet. Then in the evening the parties at court, or at the
houses of the ambassadors or dignitaries; the theatres and concerts. The
prince, however, never stayed late. He then read or worked for a couple
of hours in his own room; at twelve o'clock he went to bed.

He was used to this life of monotonous variety, had grown up in it. So
soon as he returned from Lycilia to Lipara--the city was then still
under martial law--he found it waiting for him busier than ever; the
opening of parliament had followed close upon his return. The emperor
was pleased with the crown-prince's conduct in the north, perhaps
because of the praise which the northern newspapers bestowed upon the
Duke of Xara for his ready sympathy, because of his moment of
popularity. He wanted to let his son take more and more part in affairs
of state and discussed them with him more frequently either alone or in
the company of the imperial chancellor. But the stern measures of
drastic violence which the Duke of Mena-Doni had taken--he himself at
Lipara, his officers at Thracyna: furious charges of hussars against the
threatening crowds--these revolted Othomar; he had heard of them with
anguish and despair, though he knew that there was nothing to be
achieved by gentleness. And with his veneration for the emperor, as for
a demi-god of will and force, there was mingled a certain antipathy and
grudge, which divided him from his father and made any interchange of
thought between them difficult.

Now, after the opening of parliament, the town, the whole country had
quieted down; the troops, however, remained on the parade-ground, for
the approaching manoeuvres. The arrival of the King and Queen of Syria
was fixed. Othomar's days succeeded one another as before. He was
entertained at banquets by the officers of the throne-guards and of the
other regiments to which he belonged. Yes, this was his hour of
popularity. It was already