t seemed to them impossible that a woman could move with
ease and comfort in so much clothing. Then he drew for them a noble
in the court dress of the period, and also the figure of a knight
in full armor.

The last astonished them most of all. How could a man move and
breathe, thus enclosed in metal? Roger admitted that, in a hot
climate like that of Mexico, the heat would be terrible. But he
pointed out that men so clad were carried on horses, and had no
occasion for movement; save of their arms, which, as there were
joints in the armor at the shoulder, could be moved in any way with
freedom.

"There cannot be much bravery required to fight, when protected in
this way by metal," the queen said.

"Numbers are killed, nevertheless," Roger replied. "The armor,
strong as it is, will not resist the missiles fired from cannon;
and the helmets--that is, the part that protects the head--can be
beaten in by blows with heavy maces. Moreover, when two parties
similarly armed charge, the shock is so terrible that horses and
riders are alike thrown to the ground, and when thrown down they
may be trampled to death by the horses, or killed by footmen before
they can recover their feet. Still, there are many who think that
some day armor will be given up altogether; for the guns are being
improved constantly, and when the balls sent by those carried by
footmen are able to pierce any armor, it will no longer be any
protection, whatever."

"And these ladies of yours," the Princess Amenche asked; "are they
very pretty? Because these matters are more to our taste than these
ugly arms."

"They differ much from each other, just as they do here," Roger
said. "Some are homely, and others are pretty."

"Are their eyes always blue, and their hair of a bright color, like
yours?"

"Oh no! There is a great difference. Some have hair almost as light
as flax; some almost as dark as yours, but not quite so dark. Some
have hair almost exactly the color of gold; some a red, like the
fringe of your garments; then there are many shades of brown,
between red and black. The eyes vary in the same way. People with
light hair, and golden, and red, have either gray or blue eyes.
Those with brown hair of different shades have brown eyes,
sometimes light and sometimes dark brown."

"How strange it must be," the girl laughed, "to see people with
hair of so many colors! And which do you like best, Roger
Hawkshaw?"

"At the present moment, Princess,