nds. There is some music in the
world that ought never to be allowed."

"Well, there is some of ours," said the Princess, as the massed bands of
three regiments sent forth their blast. "How does that strike you?"

The Prince listened with the ear of a connoisseur. "For you here, that
is good," he said judicially; "but you are not a musical nation. And
there is a man there that is playing his drum as it ought not to be
played."

And then his formal duties called him away. This was their first
exchange of compliments. Old Uncle Nostrum, who had kept within ear-shot,
reported to the King that things had gone sufficiently well. There was
no secrecy about the intended affair in the royal circle now; everybody
knew of it.

And that evening, at a State ball given in the Prince's honor, the
destined pair met again.

Nothing very much happened at the ball. The Prince danced once with
Charlotte and once with the Queen, and with nobody else; while Charlotte
danced nearly the whole evening; and Max, moving about with a pensive
and preoccupied air, danced with nobody. But the only reason why this
ball has to be mentioned is because of something that happened
immediately after, quite unconnected either with the about-to-be-linked
or the about-to-be-separated lovers--something which takes us back to
those underground workings of the body politic which his Majesty was
only now beginning fully to apprehend.

State balls end punctually, and as it were upon the stroke; as soon as
the royal countenance is withdrawn they come to an end. And so within
half-an-hour of the retirement of the royal party all the great suite of
chambers was empty, and in less than an hour light and movement had
ceased in all that part of the palace wherein the royal family resided.

But the King, hindered during the day by constant attendance upon his
guest, had some papers to look through before his next meeting with the
Prime Minister. He went into his study, switched on the light, and for
an hour sat at work. Outside traffic died away; the sense of silence
grew deep; the whole palace became permeated by it. Wearying for bed,
having got through his last batch of papers, the King looked at the
clock; it was half-past one.

Just as he was getting up from his seat the mere ghost of a sound caught
his ear. The door, silent on its hinges, had softly opened; and within
its frame stood a figure in dark civil uniform who gave the military
salute.

II

"