"His highness has allowed himself months of rest!" exclaimed the emperor. "Will your majesty permit us to cast our eyes backwards for a moment? After the very fatiguing journey in the north, the prince returned straight to conditions of political excitement--Lipara was then under martial law--and afterwards came the bustle of a festival time, when the King and Queen of Syria were here...." The emperor shrugged his shoulders. "After that, the prince, acting on the advice of my respected colleagues, went on a sea-voyage to restore his health. No doubt his highness then enjoyed some days of rest; but the great hunting-trips in which he took part with Prince Herman were beyond a doubt too much for his highness' strength. Now, quite recently, his highness has been betrothed: this may have caused him some excitement. I am casually mentioning a few of the main facts, sir. I know nothing of the prince's inner life: if I knew something of that, it would certainly make many things much easier for me. But this is certain: his highness has from day to day led a too highly agitated existence, whatever the agitations may have been, great or small. That his highness did not collapse earlier is no doubt due to an uncommon power of self-control, of which I believe the prince himself to be unconscious, and an uncommon sense of duty, which is also quite spontaneous in his highness. These are high qualities, sir, in a future ruler...." A faint flush dyed the empress' cheeks; a milder expression suffused the coldness of her features. "And what is your advice, professor?" she asked. "That his highness should take an indefinite rest, ma'am." "His highness' marriage was fixed for next month," remarked the empress, in an enquiring tone. Professor Barzia's face became quite white and rigid. "It would be simply inexcusable, if his highness' marriage were to take place next month," he said, with his even, oracular voice. "Postponed, then?" asked the emperor, with suppressed rage. "Without doubt, sir," replied the professor, with cool determination. "My dear professor," the emperor growled between his teeth, with a pretence of geniality, "you speak of rest and of rest and of rest. Good God, I tell you, the prince has _had_ rest, months and months of it!... Do I ever rest so long? Life is movement; and government is movement. We can't allow ourselves to rest. Why should a young man like the prince be always resting? I never remember resting like that, when I was crown-prince! He may not be as strong as I am, but yet he is of our race! Excitement, you say! Good God, what excitement? Political excitement? That fell to _my_ share, not the prince's! And I had no need of rest after it. And has a prince to go and rest when he gets engaged to be married? Really, professor, this is carrying hygiene beyond all limits!" "Sir, your majesty has done me the honour to ask my opinion of the prince's condition. I have given that opinion to the best of my knowledge."