ately, and, after
making the prescribed curtsey, was about to retreat indoors when he
stopped her.

"I say, Lady Daphne," he remonstrated, "don't run away like that!"

"Your Royal Highness will be good enough to excuse me," she said; "I
ought to be with Princess Ruby by this time."

"_She's_ all right--trying to teach the Pages hockey in the Entrance
Court. And--look here, you needn't be so beastly formal--with _me_, you
know."

"I may remind your Royal Highness that you desired me to observe the
strictest etiquette."

"Did I? I only meant in public. Let's drop it just now, anyway. I've
been wanting to get a talk with you. You see, you're the only person
here I can really talk to; and if you only knew how awfully hipped and
depressed I'm feeling----"

"Are you?" she said. "I'm sorry." And there was certainly pity in the
soft grey eyes which rested on him for a moment or two.

"I give you my word," he went on, "there are times when I almost wish
myself back at the office again. There were things to be done there,
even if I didn't do 'em. Here there's nothing--except cards. It
wouldn't be so bad if the chaps here only knew Auction--I could hold my
own at that. But you couldn't play bridge with the sort of packs they've
got in this God-forsaken country. So they've taught me a bally game they
call 'Krebsgriff,' and I've lost over two sacks of ducats at it already.
Anyone would think after _that_ they'd treat me as a pal, but not a bit
of it!"

"Perhaps, Sir, they're afraid of being rebuked for such presumption."

"Perhaps, but I don't think it's that. They're polite enough and all
that, to my face, but they don't look _up_ to me, you know!"

"Why _should_ they?" Daphne thought, but all she said was, "That's very
sad."

"Isn't it?" he said; "they don't give me a chance to show what I _can_
do. I could knock their silly heads off at golf, and they won't even
learn! And now I can't get a game; and this afternoon, when _I_ was
feeling inclined for cards, they all go off to the forest without a word
to me, hunting beastly boars and bears, and I'm left without a soul to
speak to."

"They might have asked you to do them the honour of coming too," said
Daphne.

"I couldn't very well have gone if they had. You see, they hunt boars
and that on horseback here, and riding's a thing I've never gone in
for."

"It's not too late to begin, Sir."

"Well, to tell you the truth, I did think at one time of taking a few
le