were walking in the garden at the summer palace, that, she was
thinking of being in love with a young lieutenant who was attached to
the King's suite. The Prince who was called Otto, for short, by the
family, because he actually had eleven names--the Prince had been much
interested. For some time afterward he had bothered Miss Braithwaite to
define being in love, but he had had no really satisfactory answer.

In pursuance of his quest for information, he had grown quite friendly
with the young officer, whose name was Larisch, and had finally asked to
have him ride with him at the royal riding-school. The grim old King had
granted the request, but it had been quite fruitless so far after all.
Lieutenant Larisch only grew quite red as to the ears, when love was
mentioned, although he appeared not unwilling to hear Hedwig's name.

The Crown Prince had developed a strong liking for the young officer.
He assured Hedwig one time when she came to tea that when he was king
he would see that she married the lieutenant. But Hedwig was much
distressed.

"I don't want him that way," she said. "Anyhow, I shall probably have to
marry some wretch with ears that stick out and a bad temper. I dare say
he's selected already. As to Lieutenant Larisch, I'm sure he's in love
with Hilda. You should see the way he stares at her."

"Pish!" said Prince Ferdinand William Otto over his cup. "Hilda is not
as pretty as you are. And Nikky and I talk about you frequently."

"Nikky" was the officer. The Crown Prince was very informal with the
people he liked.

"Good gracious!" exclaimed the Princess Hedwig, coloring. "And what do
you say?"

Miss Braithwaite having left the room, Prince Ferdinand William Otto
took another lump of sugar. "Say? Oh, not much, you know. He asks how
you are, and I tell him you are well, and that you ate thirteen pieces
of bread at tea, or whatever it may have been. The day Miss Braithwaite
had the toothache, and you and I ate the fruit-cake her sister had sent
from England, he was very anxious. He said we both deserved to be ill."

The Princess Hedwig had been blushing uncomfortably, but now she paled.
"He dared to say that?" she stormed. "He dared!" And she had picked up
her muff and gone out in a fine temper.

Only--and this was curious--by the next day she had forgiven the
lieutenant, and was angry at Ferdinand William Otto. Women are very
strange.

So now Ferdinand William Otto ran his fingers through his fai