Ferdinand Of Bernstorf. There, now, my lady, 'tis out. The
secret has half-choked me these twelve years."

"Very kind and considerate in my father; but his child does not choose
to become the bride of any one just yet, least of all of one old
enough to be her grandfather."

"Old!" exclaimed the dame, throwing back her hands in amazement, "Old!
why, my dear lady, he is a mere boy; he will be but twenty-eight--"

"Twenty-eight! and I sixteen! why they would have me marry my
grandfather." And the little lady threw back her head, and with it its
world of soft brown curls, and laughed in very glee.

"He will be but twenty-eight, two--no, three days after this coming
Christmas. But, dear lady, do leave these screaming, noisy jack-daws
and mackdaws, and come and let me dress you in the beautiful new
court-dress your guardian sent you this morning."

"You naughty nurse! to abuse my beautiful birds. I have only one
jack-daw, and these are my pretty West Indian macaws, _not_ mackdaws,
wise nursey. And those are my bright-eyed canaries, and that is--but
you will not remember their names, although I have told them to you so
often."

"I see some are blue, and some bright red, and I know that little
Jenny, who helps you take care of them, loves them as well as you do.
But will you not come now and try on your splendid dress? I would have
you look your best and prettiest when your cousin comes."

"I know I shall not like him, and if I do not, my guardian will not
force me to marry him."

"But your father's will--"

"I will not think of that now, nor will I dress, dear nursey. I will
go ride my pony, and gather some of those wild-flowers my guardian
loves so well." And away flew the bright, happy little maiden; she
herself, of all the glad, sweet wild-flowers that grew among the
shades of Fernheath, the gladdest, sweetest, merriest and wildest;
and the one of all the rest her guardian uncle loved the best.

Little Dame Hildreth, while she flew about preparing for the reception
of Baron Arnhiem and the prince, could not help sadly bemoaning the
strange perversity of her young lady, in preferring birds and
wild-flowers and ponies to court-dresses and husbands.

The Lady Isoleth soon forgot that she had arrived at the advanced age
of sixteen, and that she had to put away childish things, and all
about her father's will, and the awful prince. She rode her pony
through the wood down to the sea; then ran a race with him upon th