h the blare of
the music and the blaze of the light, a crash of thunder shook and
rolled. It was as though the palace had been struck by lightning, for
immediately afterwards, through the open windows, there came from one of
the back-wings of the palace a rattling clatter of stones, which seemed
tossed into the air, of great rafters, which fell noisily and roughly,
of shivers of glass, which seemed to be splintering shrilly on every
side....

The music was suddenly silenced. The uniforms, the court-trains rushed
to the open balconies, which overlooked the park; but the night was
dark, the park was hushed. A last couple of rafters seemed to be still
falling, with a last crash of stones....

In the bright glare of the electric light, faces turned deathly pale,
like the faces of corpses. Eyes stared at one another in terror. The
duchess half-sank against Othomar when she saw Elizabeth tear past her
with wild, vacant eyes and out at a door, her long, white velvet train
trailing madly after her, round the corner. The mistress of the robes
followed her; so did Helene of Thesbia. The emperor appeared to give the
chamberlains some hurried orders; then he also left the ballroom,
accompanied by a few officers.

Shortly afterwards the music again burst forth from the balcony in the
gallery. Many equerries and aides-de-camp were seen bowing to their
partners, the ladies trembling as they rose. The ball proceeded; the
uniforms and trains glittered as before in the windings of the waltz.
But the smiles seemed to have been obliterated from the dancers'
features and their pallid faces turned the ball into a dance of death.

Leoni, shivering, bowed before Othomar:

"A dynamite explosion, low down in the cellars of the western back-wing.
The anterooms of his majesty's private apartments are destroyed. His
majesty requests your highness to make every effort to continue the
ball. All officers and court-ladies are commanded to dance."

The duchess clutched Othomar's arm, almost fainting. The rumour spread
around them. The equerries dragged their partners along half-swooning.
Two were seen carried away in a dead faint. The Queen of Syria stood
vacantly beside the Archduke of Carinthia, who put his arm round her
heavy waist to dance. She did not yet seem able to make up her mind.

Othomar passed his arm round the duchess:

"O God, I can't do it!" she stammered. "For God's sake, highness, don't
ask me!..."

"We must," he said. "His