both. He came to take her orders.

'The thunder,' he announced, raising a telegraphic arm, 'rolls. It
rains. We have a storm. Command me, princess! your highness!'

Ottilia's eyelids were set blinking by one look aloft. Rain and
lightning filled heaven and earth.

'Direct us, you!' she said to me gently.

The natural proposal was to despatch her giant by the direct way down
the lake to fetch a carriage from the stables, or matting from the
boathouse. I mentioned it, but did not press it.

She meditated an instant. 'I believe I may stay with my beloved?'

Schwartz and I ran to the boat, hauled it on land, and set it keel
upward against a low leafy dripping branch. To this place of shelter,
protecting her as securely as I could, I led the princess, while
Schwartz happed a rough trench around it with one of the sculls. We
started him on foot to do the best thing possible; for the storm gave no
promise that it was a passing one. In truth, I knew that I should have
been the emissary and he the guard; but the storm overhead was not
fuller of its mighty burden than I of mine. I looked on her as mine for
the hour, and well won.

CHAPTER XXXI. PRINCESS OTTILIA'S LETTER

That hour of tempest went swift as one of its flashes over our little
nest of peace, where we crouched like insects. The lightning and the
deluge seemed gloriously endless. Ottilia's harbouring nook was dry
within an inch of rushing floods and pattered mire. On me the torrents
descended, and her gentle efforts drew me to her side, as with a
maternal claim to protect me, or to perish in my arms if the lightning
found us. We had for prospect an ever-outbursting flame of foliage, and
the hubbub of the hissing lake, crimson, purple, dusky grey, like the
face of a passionate creature scourged. It was useless to speak. Her
lips were shut, but I had the intent kindness of her eyes on me almost
unceasingly.

The good hour slipped away. Old Warhead's splashed knees on the level of
our heads were seen by us when the thunder had abated. Ottilia prepared
to rise.

'You shall hear from me,' she said, bending with brows measuring the
boat-roof, like a bird about to fly.

'Shall I see you?'

'Ultimately you surely will. Ah! still be patient.'

'Am I not? have I not been?'

'Yes; and can you regret it?'

'No; but we separate!'

'Would you have us be two feet high for ever?' she answered smiling.

'One foot high, or under earth, if it might be togeth