tle group. In reality he watched
Hedwig, all his humble, boyish heart in his eyes.

After a time Hedwig slipped the lilies out of her belt and placed them
in a glass of water.

"They are thirsty, poor things," she said to Otto. Only--and here was a
strange thing, if she were really sorry for them--one of the stalks fell
to the floor, and she did not trouble to pick it up. Nikky retrieved it,
and pretended to place it with the others. But in reality he had palmed
it quite neatly, and a little later he pocketed it. Still later, he
placed it in his prayer-book.

The tea-table became rather noisy. The room echoed with laughter. Even
Miss Braithwaite was compelled to wipe her eyes over some of Nikky's
sallies, and the Crown Prince was left quite gasping. Nikky was really
in his best form, being most unreasonably happy, and Hedwig, looking
much taller than in her boyish riding-clothes--Hedwig was fairly
palpitating with excitement.

Nikky was a born mimic. First he took off the King's Council, one by
one. Then in an instant he was Napoleon, which was easy, of course; and
the next second, with one of the fur tails which had come unfastened
from Hedwig's muff, he had become a pirate, with the tail for a great
mustache. One of the very best things he did, however, was to make a
widow's cap out of a tea-napkin, and surmount it with a tiny coronet,
which was really Hedwig's bracelet. He put it on, drew down his upper
lip, and puffed his cheeks, and there was Queen Victoria of England to
the life.

Hedwig was so delighted with this, that she made him sit down, and
draped one of Miss Braithwaite's shawls about his shoulders. It was
difficult to look like Queen Victoria under the circumstances, with her
small hands deftly draping and smoothing. But Nikky did very well.

It was just as Hedwig was tucking the shawl about his neck to hide the
collar of his tunic, and Miss Braithwaite was looking a trifle offended,
because she considered the memory of Queen Victoria not to be trifled
with, and just as Nikky took a fresh breath and puffed out leis cheeks
again, that the Archduchess came in.

She entered unannounced, save by a jingle of chains, and surveyed the
room with a single furious glance. Queen Victoria's cheeks collapsed and
the coronet slid slightly to one side. Then Nikky rose and jerked off
the shawl and bowed. Every one looked rather frightened, except the
Crown Prince. In a sort of horrible silence he advanced and kiss