The shock to the Emperor of Austria has been very
great, —for this is the third great calamity that has fallen on him. His brother, Maximilian of Mexico, was tried by a Court- Martial and shot ; his only son committed suicide under circumstances of peculiar horror ; and now his wife, for whom he had, no doubt, a great feeling of respect and affection, has been assassinated. No wonder that he exclaimed, "I see I am not to be spared any single misfortune in this world." On the whole, however, the Emperor seems to be show- ing his accustomed courage and high sense of public duty, and after the exhibition of a certain irresolution he has settled down again to the many cares of his Empire. Owing to the internal situation in Austria-Hungary, it is not un- natural that already people are beginning to ask how will the Dnpress's death affect political affairs. The general opinion
seems to be that sympathy with the Emperor will make his hard task of reconciling the warring factions somewhat easier. It is even whispered that the dynastic question may now be settled satisfactorily. The present heir to the throne and his brother are both men who, to put the matter least harshly, would prove undesirable Emperors. Suppose, then, that in eighteen months or a couple of years the Emperor were to marry again, and that a male heir were to be born to him. That would, no doubt, solve many difficulties ; but we must not forget that the Emperor is over sixty-eight.
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