t
possible ... possible unpleasantness, especially as your highness
desired ... desired that the platform should remain open to the
public...."

Othomar looked out as Ducardi had done; he saw the infantry drawn up and
the crowd behind; angry, murmuring, drab, threatening:

"But, excellency," he said, aloud, to the governor, "in that case it
would have been better to shut off the platform entirely. This is quite
wrong. The police would have been sufficient to prevent any crowding."

"I was afraid of ... of unpleasantness, highness. Troubled times, the
people so discontented," he whispered, fearing to be overheard by the
equerries.

"Quite wrong," repeated Othomar, angrily, nervously excited. "Let the
infantry march off."

"That's out of the question now," Ducardi hastened to say, with an
unhappy smile. "You understand that that can't be done."

The conversation had been carried on aside, in a half-whispering tone;
yet everybody seemed to listen. All eyes were gazing on the group
surrounding the princes; the others were silent.

"Then let us prolong this regrettable situation as little as possible;
we may as well go," said Othomar; and his voice quivered high, young and
nervous in his clear throat.

The doors were opened; Othomar, in his hurry, stepped out first; the
equerries and aides-de-camp did not follow him at once, as they had to
make way for Prince Herman, who happened to be a little behind. Herman
hurried up to Othomar; the others followed.

The princes made a movement of the head to left and right as though to
bow; but their eyes met the fixed, round eyes of the soldiers, who had
presented arms with a flash; they saluted and walked on to their
compartment a little quickly, with an unpleasant feeling in their backs.

Under the colossal glass roof of the station, behind the files of
soldiers, the crowd stood as still as death, for the humming had almost
ceased; there was no curse nor scornful word heard, but also no cheer,
no loud, loyal hurrah sweet to the ears of princes.

And the faces of those vague people, separated by uniforms and bayonets
from their future ruler, remained gazing fixedly with dull, hostile
eyes, with firmly-closed lips, full of forced restraint, as though to
stare him out of existence in the imperial compartment.

The princes waved their hands from the windows to the dignitaries, who
stood on the platform bowing, saluting. The engine whistled, shrieked,
tore the close atmosphe