he ring--the Princess
Hedwig rode also. Rode divinely. Rode saucily. Rode, when Nikky was
ahead, tenderly.

To tell the truth, Prince Ferdinand William Otto rather hoped, this
morning, that Hedwig would not be there. There was a difference in Nikky
when Hedwig was around. When she was not there he would do all sorts
of things, like jumping on his horse while it was going, and riding
backward in the saddle, and so on. He had once even tried jumping on his
horse as it galloped past him, and missed, and had been awfully ashamed
about it. But when Hedwig was there, there was no skylarking. They
rode around, and the riding-master put up jumps and they took them. And
finally Hedwig would get tired, and ask Nikky please to be amusing while
she rested. And he would not be amusing at all. The Crown Prince felt
that she never really saw Nikky at his best.

Hedwig was there. She had on a new habit, and a gardenia in her
buttonhole, and she gave Nikky her hand to kiss, but only nodded to the
Crown Prince.

"Hello, Otto!" she said. "I thought you'd have a ball and chain on your
leg to-day."

"There's nothing wrong with my legs," said Prince Ferdinand William
Otto, staring at the nets habit. "But yours look rather queer."

Hedwig flushed. The truth was that she was wearing, for the first time,
a cross-saddle habit of coat and trousers. And coat and trousers were
forbidden to the royal women. She eyed Otto with defiance, and turned an
appealing glance to Nikky. But her voice was very dignified.

"I bought them myself," she said. "I consider it a perfectly modest
costume, and much safer than the other."

"It is quite lovely--on you, Highness," said Nikky.

In a stiff chair at the edge of the ring Hedwig's lady in waiting sat
resignedly. She was an elderly woman, and did not ride. Just now she
was absorbed in wondering what would happen to her when the Archduchess
discovered this new freak of Hedwig's. Perhaps she would better ask
permission to go into retreat for a time. The Archduchess, who had no
religion herself, approved of it in others. She took a soft rubber from
her pocket, and tried to erase a spot from her white kid gloves.

The discovery that Hedwig had two perfectly good legs rather astounded
Prince Ferdinand William Otto. He felt something like consternation.

"I've never seen any one else dressed like that," he observed, as the
horses were brought up.

Hedwig colored again. She looked like an absurdly pretty b