atteau cupids on her fan.

"How shall I describe her?" he said. "I have seen only paintings and
marbles, and these are inanimate. I have never seen angels, so I can not
draw a comparison there. Have you ever seen ripe wheat in a rain-storm?
That is the color of her hair. There is jade and lapis-lazuli in her
eyes. And Ole Bull could not imitate the music of her voice." He leaned
toward her. "And I love her better than life, better than hope; and
between us there is the distance of a thousand worlds. So I must give up
the dream and go away, as an honorable man should."

Neither of them heard the chancellor's approach.

"And because I love her."

The fan in her hand slipped unheeded to the floor.

"Your Highness," broke in the cold even tones of Herbeck, "your father
is making inquiries about you."

Carmichael rose instantly, white as the frill in his shirt.

Hildegarde, however, was a princess. She gained her feet leisurely, with
half a smile on her lips.

"Count, Herr Carmichael tells me that he is soon to leave Dreiberg."

"Ah!" There was satisfaction in Herbeck's ejaculation, satisfaction of a
frank order. But there was a glint of admiration in his eyes as he
recognized the challenge in Carmichael's. He saw that he must step
carefully in regard to this hot-headed young Irishman. "We shall miss
Herr Carmichael."

Her highness moved serenely toward the door. Carmichael waited till she
was gone from sight, then he stooped and picked up the fan. Herbeck at
once held out his hand.

"Give it to me, Herr Captain," he said, with a melancholy gentleness. "I
will return it to her highness."

Carmichael deliberately thrust the fan into a pocket and shook his head.

"Your Excellency, I do not know how long you stood behind us, but you
were there long enough to learn that I have surrendered my dream.
Nothing but force will cause me to surrender this fan."

"Keep it, then, my son," replied the chancellor, with good
understanding.

CHAPTER XVII

AFTER THE VINTAGE

The ducal vineyards covered some forty acres of rich hillside. All day
long the sun beat squarely upon the clustering fruit. A low rambling
building of stone covered the presses and bottling departments, and was
within comparatively easy distance of the city. During the vintage
several hundred men and women found employment. The grand duke derived a
comfortable private revenue from these wines, the Tokay being scarcely
inferior to that made in H