When the last villager had crossed the threshold, these ran forward to close and bar the great doors.
"No," said Paul, from the head of the stairs, "leave them open." So the great doors stood defiantly open.

The lights of the state staircase flared out over the village as the peasants crept crest-fallen to their cottages.

They glanced up shamefacedly, but they had no word to say.
Steinmetz, in the drawing-room, looked at Paul with his resigned semi-humorous shrug of the shoulders.
"Touch-and-go, mein lieber!" he said.
"Yes; an end of Russia for us," answered the prince.
He moved toward the door leading through to the old castle.
"I am going to look for Etta," he said.
"And I," said Steinmetz, going to the other entrance, "am going to see who opened the side door.".