to startle her.

"I read it on his hand," she resumed, as though speaking to herself.
Then, looking fixedly at me once more, she continued, but with greater
respect than she had hitherto shown: "Go on and prosper, child; though
they know it not, the people's heart goes with you."

Then, in a strange sing-song voice, and still looking steadfastly at my
face, she repeated the old distich, which has been popular in the
country for many hundreds of years. Translated roughly into English, it
runs somewhat as follows:

"Pannonia's King shall firmly sit,
So long as Michael's Cross doth fit."

After bidding me remember what the gipsy had said, and before we could
stop her, or question her further, she had left us and was hobbling
after her party. Even now I can feel the awkwardness of the next few
moments. It had all been so sudden and so unexpected, that it had taken
us completely by surprise. I was only a child, and I knew I was not to
blame; nevertheless, I looked appealingly at Max as if for forgiveness.
His handsome face was black with passion. Placing my hand upon his arm,
I asked him to forgive me, begging him not to be angry at a gipsy's idle
words, but he threw my hand off, saying that he was scarcely likely to
allow himself to be made angry by an old fool. Be that as it may,
however, for the rest of the ride he held himself aloof from us, only
speaking when he was spoken to, and then with a bitterness that was
older than his years, and, if possible, more uncomfortable than his
silence. In my own mind I believe it was from that day that the
estrangement which afterwards existed for some years between us might be
said to have dated; yet the mere fact that I happened to possess--though
at that time very faintly--the peculiar cross-like indentation between
the brows, that, tradition says, was bequeathed to us by Duke Michael,
the founder of our House, and which it is maintained none but those
destined to rule the kingdom ever possess, should not have made any
difference in our feelings towards each other.

One more digression from the direct path of my narrative, and I shall be
at liberty to proceed at my best pace.

Among certain nobles of the kingdom, and one who commanded an influence
in some quarters, second only to that of the King himself, was Prince
Ferdinand of Lilienhoehe, a brilliant man in every way, but a bitter
enemy of the Ramonyi family. It was his misfortune that he was never
able to allow