* The ? I
Princess
;i x. F* #? ? t>
Virginia
i; I1 - 'I I;
; By C. N. and A. M. WILLIAMSON.
1 > Author* of **? ic Lightning Con- i
duct or," "K?,ifm?ry In Search
, , of n loth*#." Etc. { > ]
I > i ?
1 > Copyright, 1907. by MoClurc, Phil- < ?
\\v a co. ;;
j|cHAPTER EIGHT jj
VOT n window of the four
l^k I teenth century yellow
| V: 3 marble palace on the tilll.
^>'1 fra with lis famous garden
of hie nine fountains,
that was not ablaze with
light. glittering against a faraway bark
ground of violet mountains crowned by
?now.
Outside the tall bronze gates where
marble llous crouched the crowd that
might not pass beyond stured, chat
tered. pointed and exclaimed without
jealousy of their betters. Uuser la>o
was giving a ball, and It was enough
for their hnpplnesN to watch the slow
moving Hue of splendid slate coaches,
gorgeous automobiles and neat brough
urns with well known crests upon their
doors; to strive good naturedly for n
peep at the faces and dresses, the
jewels anil picturesque uniforms, to
comment upon all freely, but never
Impudently, asking one another what
would be for supper and with whom
the emperor would dance.
"There she Is?there's the beautiful
young foreign lady who saved hlrnt"
cried a girl In the throng. "I was
there and saw her, I tell you. Isn't
?he an iimrel?" ? I
Instantly a hearty cheer went up.
growing In volume, and the green coat
ed policemen had to keep hack the
crowd that would have stopped the
horses aud pressed close for a Ions
look Into a plain dark blue brougham.
Virginia shrank out of sight against
the cushions, blushing and breathing
quickly as she caught her mother's
band.
"Dear people dear, kind people!" she
thought. "I love them for loving him.
1 wonder, oh, 1 wonder, if they will
ever see me and cheer tne driving by
bla Bide!"
She had chosen to wear the white
dress with the pearls, though up to the
last moment the grand duchess hud
suffered tortures of Indecision between
that and the blue, to say nothing of a
pink chiffon trimmed with crushed
roses. Before the carriage brought
them to the palace doors the girl's
blush had faded, and her face was us
white as her gown when at her moth
er's side she passed between bowing
lackeys through the marble Hull of
Lions, on through the frescoed ltltter
saal to the throne room, where the
emperor's guests uwaited his coming
It was etiquette not to arrive a mo
ment later than 10 o'clock, and a few
minutes after the hour Huron von Lyn
da! In his official capacity as grand
master of ceremonies struck the pol
ished floor twice with Ills gold knob
bed wand of Ivory. This signaled the
approach of the court from the Im
perial dinner party, and Leopold en
tered, with a stout, middle aged royal
highness from Russia on his arm.
Until his arrival the lieautiful Miss
Mowbray had held all eyes, aud even
when he appeared she was not forgot
ten. Every one wns on tenterhooks
to see how she would be greeted by
the grateful em|>eror.
The Instant that Ills dark head tow
ered above other heads In the throne
room It wns observed even by those
not usually observant that never had
Leopold been so handsome.
Ills was a face remarkable for Intel
lect and limitless rnther than for clas
sical beauty of feature, though his fea
tures were strong and clearly cut. Hut
tonight the sternness that sometimes
marred them In the eyes of women
was smoothed away, lie looked young
auil indent, almost boyish, like a man
who has suddenly found an absorbing
new Interest in life.
The first danre he went through with
the Russian royalty, who was the
guest of the evening, und. still rigidly
conforming to the line of duty, which
obtains In court ballrooms us on bat
tlefields. the second, third and fourth
dances were for the emi>eror |iennnres
Instead of pleasures. Rut for the fifth,
a waltz, he bowed before Virginia.
During this long hour there had been
hardly a movement, smile or glance of
hers which he had uot contrived to see
since his entrance, fie knew Just how
well Baron von I.yndal carried out his
Instructions concerning Miss Mowbray.
He saw each partner preseuted to her
for a dance the emperor might uot
claim, and to save his life or a national
crisis he cou'.d uot htTe forced the
aame expression In speaking with her
royal highness from Russia ns that
which spontaneously brightened his
face when at last he approached Vir
ginia.
"Who Is that girl?" asked Count von
Ereitstein In his usual abrupt manner
gs the arm of Leopold girdled the sllin
waist of the princess and the eyes of
Leopold drank light from another pair
of eyes lifted to bis In laughter.
I: was to Baroness von Lyndal that
the old chancellor put his question,
and she fluttered a tiny diamond
spangled fan of lace to hide hps that
would smile as she answered, "What,
chancellor, are you Jesting, or don't
you really know who that girl Is?"
Count von Breltsteln turned eyes
cold and gray as glass away from the
two figures moving ' ' ''ralcall.v with
th,
ttie music to tlit face of the owe ceie
bra ted beauty. 1 .out; -'K" be bad ad
mired Baroness vou Lyudul as passion
ately as It was lu Ului to admire any
woman, but that day was so fur dis
tant as to be remembered wllb scorn,
and uow such power as she bad over
him was merely to excite u feeling of
irritation.
"I seldom trouble myself to jest,"
be auswerod.
"Ab, one knows that truly great men
are born without a sense of bumor.
Those who have It nre never ns suc
cessful lu life as those without,"
smiled the baroness, who was by birth
a Hungarian and loved laughter bet
ter than anything else except compli
ments upon her vanishing beauty.
"Ilow stupid of me to have tried your
patience! That girl.' as you so un
compromisingly call her, has two
claims to attention at court. Hbe Is
the English Miss Helen Mowbray
whose mother has come to Kronburg
armed with sheaves of Introductions
to us all. She Is also the young wom
an of whom the papers are full today,
for it is she who saved the emperor's
life."
"Indeed!" said the ehnncellor, a gray
gleam in his eye as be watched the
white figure flouting on the tide of
music In the nrms of I^opold. "In
deed !"
"I thought you would have known,
for you know most things before
other people hear of them," went on
the baroness. "I.ady Mowbray and her
daughter are staying at the Hobeu
luugenwald hotel. That's the mother
sitting on the left of 1'rlncess Neu
fried?the pretty Dresden china per
sou. Hut the girl Is a greut beauty."
"It's generous of you to say so, bar
oness." replied the chancellor. "I
didn't see the young lady's face nt all
clearly yesterday. I was stationed too
fur away. And dress makes a great
.,*? J1 - l( I,.
"IC/io in tlMt glrlT"
difference. As for what she did," went
on the old man, whose coldness to wo
men and merciless justice to both sexes
alike had earned him the nickname of
"Iron Heart" "as for w hat she did, If
It had not been she who Intervened be
tween the emperor and death It would
have been the fate of another to do
so. It was a fortunate thing for the
girl, we may say, that It happened to
l>e her arm which struck up the
weapon."
"Or she wouldn't be here toulght,
you moau," laughed the baroness.
"Don't you think, then, that his majes
ty Is right to single her out for so
much honor?" Her eyes were on the
dancers, yet that mysterious skill
which most women of the world have
learned taught her how not to miss the
slightest change of expression, If there
were any. on the chancellor's square,
lined face.
"His majesty ts always right," he re
plied diplomatically. "An Invitation to
a ball, a dance or two, a few compli
ments, a call to pay his respects?a
gentleman could not lie less gracious.
And his majesty Is one of the first gen
tlemen Iti Europe."
"He has had good training what to
do and what not to do." The baroness
flung her little sop of flattery to Cer
berus with a dainty ghost of a bow for
the man who had been as a second
father to Leopold since the late em
peror's death "But- we're old friends,
chancellor" she was not to blame that
tbev had not been more In the days
before file became Baroness von Lyn
da!?"so. tell me. can yon look at the
girl's face nm! t'ae emperor's and stll!
say that everything will end with an
Invitation, a dance, some compliments
and a call to pay respects?"
Iron Heart frowned and sneered,
wondering what he could have seen
twenty-two years ago to admire In this
flighty woman. He would have es
caped from her now If esca|>e had been
feasible, but he could not be openly
rude to the wife of the grand master
of ceremonies at the emperor's ball,
and. besides, he was not unwilling per
haps to show the lady that her senti
mental and unsuitable Innuendos were
as the buzr.mg of a fly about his enrs.
"I'm close u|>on seventy nnd no long
er a fair Judge of a woman's attrac
tions," he returned carelessly. "A look
at her face conveys nothing to me. but
were she Helen of Troy Instead of
Helen Mowbray the Invitation, the
dance, the compliments and the call,
with the present of some Jeweled sou
venir, are all that are permissible In
the circumstances."
"What circumstances?" and the bar
oness looked as Innocent as an Inquir
ing chlid.
"The lady Is not of royal blood, and
his majesty, I thank heaven. Is not a
roue."
"He has a heart, though you trained
him, chancellor, and he has eyes. He
may never have used them to much
purpose before, yet there must be a
first time, aud, the higher and more
strongly built the tower, ouee it begins
to topple the greater is the fall thereof."
"Is It the sense of humor, which you
lay I lack, that gives you pleasure lu
(.' cusrlrg the wildest Improbability*
?
us ir I 'icy were events to Ik* cousldar- i
rd seriously? If It Is I'tu not sorry to ?
look It. In uny en e. It's well that
uelther of us is the emperor's keeper."
"We're ut least his very good friends,
you as well us I in my humbler way.
chancellor, uud you und I have known
each other for twenty-two years. If it
amuses me to discuss improbabilities,
why not? Slnee you call them im
probabilities it cau do no barm to dwell
upon them as ingredients for romance.
Not for worlds would 1 suggest that
Ids majesty Isn't au example for all
men to follow nor that poor, pretty
Miss Mowbray could be tempted to In
discretion. but yet I'd be ready to make
a wager, the emperor being human and
the girl a beauty, that an acquaintance
so romantically begun won't end with
a ball and a call."
"What could there possibly be more,
or what you hint at as more, in honor?"
The chancellor's voice was angry at
last as well as stern, for be could not
bear persistence in other people unless
It were to further some cause of his
own. To the delight of the woman
who had once tried In vain to melt his
iron heart. Count von Hreltsteln began
to look somewhat like a baited bull.
Iteally, said the baroness to herself,
there was an actual rc^nblance in
feature, and Joyously she * .'arched for
a few more little ribbon tlp|>ed ban
derlllos.
What fun it was to ruffle the tern
per of the surly old brute who had hu
miliated her woman's vanity in days
long past, but not forgotten! She
knew the chancellor's desire for the
emperor's marriage as soon us a suit
able uiutch could be found and, though
she was not in the secret of his plans,
would have felt little surprise at learn
ing that some eligible royal girl had
already been selected. Now how amus
ing it would be actually to make
the old man tremble for the success
of his hopes, even If it should turn out
In the end to be Impossible or unde
slrable to upset theui!
"What could there be more In hon
or?" she echoed lightly after an in
stant given to reflection. "Why. the
einperor and the girl will see a great
deal of each other unless you banish
or Imprison the Mowbrays. There'll
be many dances together, many calls?
In fact, a serial romance Instead of a
short story. Why shouldn't his majes
ty know the pleasure of a?platonlc
friendship with a beautiful and charm
ing young woman?"
"Because I'lato's out of fashion, if
ever be was in, among human beings
with red blood In their veins and be
cause, as I said, the emperor Is above
all else a man of honor. Besides, I
doubt that any woman, 110 matter how
pretty or young, could wieid a really
powerful Influence over bis life."
"You doubt that? Then you don't
know the emperor and you've forgot
ten some of the traditions of his
house."
"Are you trying to warn me of dis
aster, baroness?"
She laughed. "Oh, dear, no?of noth
ing disagreeable! But I should be sor
ry to think, as you seem to do, that our
emperor has no youth in his veins."
"I think nothing of the sort. What
I do think is that my teachings have
not been in vain and that he has grown
up to put his duty to his country and
his own self respect above everything,
lie's a strong man too strong to be
trapped in the meshes of any pink and
white Vivien. And if he admired a
young woman not of royal blood he
would keep his distance for her sake.
You say this English miss is with her
mother at the principal hotel of Kron
burg. If Leopold constantly visited
them there we should have a scandal.
On the other band, to suggest meeting
the girl outside or Incognito would be
an Insult. Either way he would be
but poorly rewarding a woman who
saved his life."
Baroness von Lyndal's color rallied
to the support of her rouge, anil her
smile dwindled to Inanity, for she had
Insisted upon the argument, and It was
going against her.
In her haste to vex the chancellor
she had not stopped to study from ev
ery Rlde the question she had raised.
\ So far she had merely succeeded in Ir
; mating nun, and sue owed mm much
more tliiui n pin prick. Such lnflnltesl
mnl wounds she had contrived to give
1 the man in abundance during her twen
ty-two years at the Hhaetian court,
hut now. If she hurt him at all, she
would like the stab to be deep and
memorable.
| To be sure. In beginning the conver
sation she had thought of nothing more
than a momentary gratification, but
the very heat of the argument Into
which she had thrown herself had
warmed her malice ami sharpened the
weapon of her wit. She could justify
her expressed opinion only by events,
and It occurred to her that she might
be able to shape events In such a way
that she could say with eyes If not In
words, "1 told you so."
Her fading smile brightened. "I>ear
chnncellor. you do well to have faith
j In your Imperial pupil." said she.
I "You've helped to make him what he
Is, and you're ready to keep him what
| he should be. I suppose even that If.
j being but a young man and having the
< hot blood of his race, he should stray
j Into a primrose path you would take
advantage of old friendship to?er?
| put up signposts and barriers?"
"Were there the slightest chance of
such necessity arising," grumbled the
' chancellor, shrugging his shoulders.
"It's like your Integrity and courage.
What a comfort, then, that the neees
! ilty Is so unlikely to arise!"
The old man looked at her with level
gaze, the ruthless look that brushes
away a woman's paint and powder and
coldly counts the wrinkles underneath.
"I must have misunderstood you, then,
a moment ago," he said. "I thought
your argument was all the other way
round, rjadam."
"1 told you 1 was amusing myself.
What can one do at n ball when one
h - reached tlie H'-V tvtfien H WO Id De
fn > ir li to duuce? Why. I belle, e that
J.;.<!>? Mowbrny and her daughter are
net remaining iuug lu Krouburg."
At last she v us a hie to judge that I
? In- had Riven the chancellor u few un
cus;. moments, for his ejes brightened
visibly with relief. "?Ah." he returned,
"then they are going out of Ithaetia?"
"Not exactly that." said the baroness
slowly, pleasantly and distinctly. "I
hear that they've been asked to the
coUDtry to visit one of his majesty's
oldest friends."
Ix-upold was not supi>oaed to care for
dancing, though be danced?as It was
hU pride to do all things?well. Cer
tainly there was often a perfunctori
ness about his manner in a ballroom,
a suggestion of the soldier on duty in
bin unsmiling face and his readiness
to lend a partner to her seat when a
dance was over.
Hut tonight a new Leopold moved to
the music. A girl's white arm on his
-that slender urm which had been
quick nnd firm as a man's In his de
fense the perfume of a girl's hair
ami the gold glints upon it. the shadow
of a girl's dark lashes and the light in
a pair of gray eyes when they were
lifted, the beating of a girl's heart near
him. the springtime grace of a giri'B
sweet youth In Its contrast with the
voluptuous summer of Khuctian types
of beauty, tlie warm rose that spread
upward from a girl's childlike dimples
to the womanly arch of her brows?all
these charms and more which rendered
one girl a hundred times adorable took
hold of him and made him not on em
peror. but a man. unarmorcd.
When the music ceased he fancied
for an instant that some accident had
befallen the musicians. Then when he
realized that the end of the dance bad
come in its due time he remembered
with pleasure a rule of his court estab
lished in the days of those who had
been Itefore him After each fiance nn
Interval of ten minutes was allowed
Iwfore the beginning of another. Ten
minutes are not much to a man who
has things to say which could hardly
he said In ten hours. Still, they are
something, and to waste even one
would l?e like spilling a drop of pre
cious elixir from a tiny bottle contain
ing but nine other drops.
They had scarcely spoken yet. ex
cvpt for commonplaces which any one
might have overheard, since the day
on the mountain, and in this first mo
ment of the ten each was wondering
whether or no that day should be Ig
nored lietween them. I.eopold did not
feel that it should he spoken of. for it
was possible that the girl did not recog
nize the chamois hunter In the emper
or. and Virginia did not feel that she
could speak of It. But. then, few
things turn out as people feel they
should.
Next to the throne room was the
ballroom, and beyond was another
known as the waldsaal, which Leo
pold had fitted up for the gratification
of a fancy. It was named the wald
saal because It represented a wood.
Walls and ceiling were masked with
thick growing creepers trained over in
visible wires, through which peeped
stars of electric light, like the check
erlngs of sunshine between netted
branches. Trees grew up. with their
roots in boxes hidden lieneath the
moss covered floor. There were grot
toes of Ivy draped rock In the corners,
and here and there, out from leafy
shadows, glittered the glass eyes of
birds and animals?eagles, stags, cham
ois. wolves and bears?which the em
peror had shot.
This strange room, so vast as to seem
empty when dozens of people wan
dered beneath its trees and among its
rock grottoes, was thrown open to
guests whenever a ball was given at
the palace, but the conservatories and
palm houses were more popular, and
when Leopold brought Miss Mowbray
to the waldsaal after their dance it
wns In the hope that they might not
be disturbed.
She was lovelier than ever in her
white dress under the trees, looking
up at him with a wonderful look in
her eyes, and the young man's calm
ness was mastered by the beating of
his blood.
I Ins is a kind of madness, be said
to himself. "It will pass. It must
pass " And aloud, meaning all the
while to say something different and
commonplace, the real words in his
mind broke through the crust of con
ventionality, "Why did you do it?"
Virginia's eyes widened. "1 don't
understand." Then. In an instant, she
found that she did understand. She
knew, too, that the question had asked
itself in spite of him, but that once it
had been uttered he would stand to his
guns.
"I mean the thing 1 shall have to
thank you for always."
if Virginia had had time to think
she might have prepared some pretty
answer; but. there being no time, her
response came, as his question had.
ffom the heart, "I couldn't help doing
it."
"You couldn't help risking your life
to"? He dared not finish.
"It was to save"? Nor was there
any end for her sentence.
Then perhaps it was not strange that
he forgot certain restrictions which a
royal man in conversing with a com
moner la not supposed to forget. In
fact, he forgot that he was royal or
that she was not, and his voice grew
unsteady, his tone eager, as if he had
been some poor subaltern with the girl
of his first love.
"There-* something I must show
you," he said. Opening a button of the
military coat blazing with Jewels and
orders, he drew out a loop of thin gold
chain. At the end dangled a small
bright thing that flashed under a star
of electric light.
"My ring!" breathed Virginia.
Thus died the emperor's intention to
ignore the day that bad been theirs to
get her.
"Your ring! You give it to Loo.
He kept It. He will always keep It.
Have I surprised you?"
Virginia felt it would be best to say
"Yes." but instead she answered "No,"
for pretty white (lbs caunot l>e told
under such a look iu a man's eyes by
a girl who loves him.
"I have not? When did you guess the i
truth?yesterday or"?
"At Allehelligen."
Silence fell for a minute, while Leo- (
pold digested the aDswer and its full
meaning. He remembered the bread i
and ham. the cow he could not milk,
the rucksacks he bad carried, lie re
membered everything and laughed.
"You knew at Allehelligen? Not on
the mountain when"?
"Yes, I guessed even then, I confess. ,
Oh, I don't mean that I went there ex
"My Tiny!" breathed Virginia,
pectlng to find you. I didn't I think
1 shouldn't have gone had I known
Every one believed you were at Me
linabad, but when 1 tumbled down and
you saved me 1 looked up and?of
course I'd seen your picture, and one
reads in the i>apers that you're fond of
chamois hunting. 1 couldn't help guess
lug. Oh, I'm sorry you asked me this!"
"Why?"
"Because one might have to be afraid
of an emperor if he were angry."
"Do 1 look angry?"
Their eyes met again, laughing at
first, then each finding unexpected
depths in those of the other which
drove away laughter. Something in
Leopold's breast seemed alive and
struggling to be free from restraint,
like a tierce wild bird He shut his
lips tightly, breathing hard. Both for
got that a question had been asked,
but it was Virginia who spoke first,
since it is easier for a woman than a
man to hide feeling.
"1 wonder why you kept the ring
after my?impertinence."
"I had a good reason for keeping it."
"Won't you tell me?"
"You're quick at forming conclu
sions. Miss Mowbray. Can't you
guess?"
"To remind you to beware of strange
young women on mountains."
"No."
"Because your own picture is in
side?"
"It was a better reason than that."
"Am I not to ask it?"
"On that day you asked what you
chose. All the more should you do so
now. since there's uothing I could re
fuse you."
"Not the half of your kingdom, like
the royal men in fairy stories?"
As soon as the words were out Vir
ginia would have given much to have
them back. Site had not thought of a
meaning they might convey, but she
tried not to blush lest he should think
of it now. Nevertheless he did think
of it, and the light words, striking a
chord they had uot aimed to touch,
went echoing on and on till they
reached that part of himself which the
emperor knew least about?his heart.
"Half his kingdom?" Yes, he would
give it to this girl if he could. Heav
ens. what it would be to share it
with her!
"Ask anything you will," he said ns
n man speaks iu a dream.
"Then tell me?why you ,kept the
ring."
"Because the only woman 1 ever
cared?to make my friend took it from
her finger and gave It to me."
"Now the emperor is pleased to pay
compliments."
"You know I am sincere."
"But you'd seen me oul.v for an hour.
Instead of deserving your friendship.
I'm afraid I"?
"For one hour? That's true. And
how long ago is that one hour? A
week or so. I suppose, as time counts.
But then came yesterday and the
thing you did for me. Now I've
known you always."
"If you had. perhaps you wouldn't
want me for your friend."
"I do want you."
The words would come. It was true
already. He did want her, but not as
n friend. His world?a world without
women, without passion fiery enough
to devour principles or traditions?was
upside down.
It was well that the ten minutes'
grace between dances was over and
the music for the next about to begin.
A young officer. Count von Breitstein's
half brother, who was to be Miss
Mowbray's partner, appeared in the
distance looking for her. but stopped.
seeing that she was sttl1 with the em
peror.
"Goodby," said Virginia while her
words could still be only for the ears
of I,eopold.
"Not goodby. We re friends."
"Yes. But we shan't met often."
"Why? Are you leaving Kronburg?"
"Perhaps?soon. I don't know."
"I must see you 1 will see
you once more, whatever couies."
"Once more, perhaps. I hope so,
but"?
"After that"?
"Who knows?"
?"Once more?once more!" The words
echoed in Virginia's ears. She heard
them through everything, as one hears
the undertone of a mountain torrent,
though a brass band may bray to
drown its deep music.
Once more he would see her, what
ever might come. She could guess
why It might be only once, though be
would fain have that ouce again and
again repeated, for this game of hers,
begun with such a light heart, was
more difficult to play than she bad
dreamed.
If she could but be sure he cared. If
he would tell her so in words and not
with eyes alone, the rest might be
easy, although at best she could not
see the end. Yet how in honor could
he tell Miss Helen Mowbray that he
cared? And if the telling were not to
be in honor how could she bear to live
her life?
"Once more!" What would happen
in that "once more?" Perhaps noth
ing save a repetition of grateful thanks
and courteous words akin to a fare
well.
To be sure, Lady Mowbray and her
daughter might run away and the ne
gotiations between the emperor's ad
visers and the Grand Duchess of Bau
menburg-Drippe for the Princess Vir
ginia's hand might be allowed to go
on as if no outside Influence had ruf
fled the peaceful current of events.
Then in the end a surprise would
come for Leopold. Willful Virginia
would have played her little comedy,
and all might be said to end well. But
Virginia's heart refused to be satisfied
with so tame a last chapter, a finish
to her romance so conventional as to
be distastefully obvious, almost if not
nuite a failure.
She bad begun to drink a sweet and
stimulating draft?she who had been
brought up on milk and water?and
she was reluctant to put down the
cup, still half full of sparkling nectar.
"Once more!" If only that once could
be magnified Into many times. If she
could have her chance, her "fling,"
like the lucky girls who were not
royal!
So she was thinking In the carriage
by her mother's side, and the grand
duchess had to speak twice before her
daughter knew their silence had been
broken.
"I forgot to tell you something, Vlr
gluln."
"Ye-es, mother?"
"Your great success has made me
absentminded, child. You looked like a
shining white lily among all those
handsome, overblown Rhaetian wo
men."
"Thank you, dear. Was that what
you forgot to say?"
"Oh. no! It was this: The Baroness
von L.vndal has been most kind. She
urges us to give up our rooms at the
hotel on the first of next week and
Join her house party at Schloss Lyn
dalberg. It's only a few miles out of
town. What do you think of the
plan?"
" Lea ve? Kronburg?"
"She's asked a number of friends?to
meet the emperor."
"Oh! He didn't speak of it?when
we danced."
"But she has mentioned it to him
since, no doubt?before giving me the
invitation. Intimate friend of his as
she is. she wouldn't dare ask people to
meet him if he hadn't first sanctioned
the suggestion. Still, she can afford to
be more or less informal. The baron
ess was dancing with the emperor, I
remember now, Just before she came
to me. They were talking together
quite earnestly. I can recall the ex
pression of his face."
"Was it pleased, or"?
"I was wondering what she could
have said to make him look so happy.
Perhaps"?
"What answer did you give Baroness
von Lyndal?"
"I told her I thought you wouldn't
mind. I told her we would go."
[to be continued.j
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