'If I were your wife I should have no time to attend to the duties of
the Court; and if I were your queen I should have no time to attend to
you. And I am so jealous that I could not let you neglect me for your
kingdom; and yet I'm so ambitious that I couldn't let you neglect your
kingdom for me. So it would not do either way; and, if you please, we
won't talk any more about it.'

But as she said this her voice trembled, and tears were in her eyes.
Then Raymond's heart overflowed with tenderness, and he went to her
and took her hand.

'I could not be happy on a throne without you, Rosamund,' said he;
'but I could be happy, if you would marry me, without a throne.'

And because it cost him a good deal to make this sacrifice (even of
something he had not got) his voice trembled a little too.

When Rosamund heard that she could resist no longer. She smiled such a
smile as Dorimund and the rest would have given their farms to win
from her; and said she--

'Oh, Raymond! I am a greater queen in having your love than----'

And then Raymond kissed her just on the place that the next word was
coming out of, so the rest of the sentence was lost.

'But are you quite sure, dear Raymond, that you will be content to
live here always?' she asked, when they had had a little more
conversation of this kind.

Raymond smiled down on her, but he said nothing. Perhaps, in his
secret heart, he was thinking that Destiny (which had appeared to him
in the shape of the Appanage of Royalty so long ago) might still have
some splendid gift in store for him and Rosamund, whereof the yellow
cap would be but the symbol. And, if so, it would be foolish in them
to bind themselves beforehand not to take advantage of it. So Raymond
smiled at Rosamund in a way to show that, at all events, he loved her.
And he did love her, no doubt.

'Poor boy!' said Rosamund, after another pause, smiling back rather
mischievously, 'to think that you have been wearing this spade guinea
all these years, and it has brought you nothing better than me at
last!'

'If guineas could buy girls like you, my dear,' replied Raymond, 'the
Mint would be kept working day and night. But I'll tell you what use
we will make of this--we'll chop it in two, and each of us will wear
a half, in token that we belong to one another. And then, no matter
how long we may be separated, or what changes come over us, we should
always recognise each other by these bits of gold.'

'But y