the girth.

I looked toward Jane, whose eyes were bright with a smile, and turned
Brandon's horse over to him. Jane's smile gradually broadened into a
laugh, and she said: "Edwin, I fear my girth is loose also."

"As the Lady Mary's was?" asked I, unable to keep a straight face any
longer.

"Yes," answered Jane, with a vigorous little nod of her head, and a
peal of laughter.

"Then drop back with me," I responded.

The princess looked at us with a half smile, half frown, and remarked:
"Now you doubtless consider yourselves very brilliant and witty."

"Yes," returned Jane maliciously, nodding her head in emphatic assent,
as the princess and Brandon rode on before us.

"I hope she is satisfied now," said Jane _sotto voce_ to me.

"So you want me to ride with you?" I replied.

"Yes," nodded Jane.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I want you to," was the enlightening response.

"Then why did you not dance with me the other evening?"

"Because I did _not_ want to."

"Short but comprehensive," thought I, "but a sufficient reason for a
maiden."

I said nothing, however, and after a time Jane spoke: "The dance was
one thing and riding with you is another. I did not wish to dance with
you, but I do wish to ride with you. You are the only gentleman to
whom I would have said what I did about my girth being loose. As to
the new dance, I do not care to learn it because I would not dance it
with any man but you, and not even with you--yet." This made me glad,
and coming from coy, modest Jane meant a great deal. It meant that
she cared for me, and would, some day, be mine; but it also meant that
she would take her own time and her own sweet way in being won. This
was comforting, if not satisfying, and loosened my tongue: "Jane, you
know my heart is full of love for you--"

"Will the universe crumble?" she cried with the most provoking little
laugh. Now that sentence was my rock ahead, whenever I tried to give
Jane some idea of the state of my affections. It was a part of the
speech which I had prepared and delivered to Mary in Jane's hearing,
as you already know. I had said to the princess: "The universe will
crumble and the heavens roll up as a scroll ere my love shall alter or
pale." It was a high-sounding sentence, but it was not true, as I was
forced to admit, almost with the same breath that spoke it. Jane had
heard it, and had stored it away in that memory of hers, so tenacious
in holding to everything it should f