xcept
that it's more like old gold, if you can understand what I mean by that.
Not bronze, mind you, nor the raw red, but--oh, well, I'm not a
novelist, so I can't half-way describe it. She's rather tall--not too
tall, mind you--five feet five, I'd say--whatever that is in the metric
system. Slender and well dressed--oh, that's the strangest thing of all!
Well dressed! Think of a princess being well dressed! I can see that you
don't believe me, but I'll stake my word it's true. Of course, I've seen
but three of her gowns and--but that's neither here nor there. I'd say
she's twenty-two or twenty-three years of age--not a minute older. I
think her eyes are a very dark grey, almost blue. Her skin is like
a--a--oh, let me see, what is there that's as pure and soft as her skin?
Something warm, and pink, and white, d'ye see? Well, never mind. And her
smile! And her frown! You know, I've seen both of 'em, and one's as
attractive as the other. She's a real princess, gentlemen, and the
prettiest woman I've ever laid my eyes upon. And to think of her as the
wife of that blithering little ass--that nincompoop of a Karl Brabetz!
She loathes him, I'm sure--I _know_ she does. And she's _got_ to marry
him! That's what she gets for being a Grand Duke's daughter. Brabetz is
the heir apparent to some duchy or other over there and is supposed to
be the catch of the season. You've heard of him. He was in Paris this
season and cut quite a figure--a prince with real money in his purse,
you know. I wonder why it is that our American girls can't marry the
princes who have money instead of those who have none. Not that I wish
any of our girls such bad luck as Brabetz! I'll stake my head he'll
never forget me!" Chase concluded with a sharp, reflective laugh in
which his hearers joined, for the escapade which inspired it was being
slyly discussed in every embassy in Europe by this time, but no one
seemed especially loth to shake Chase's hand on account of it.

But to return: the advent of the Princess put fresh life into the
slowgoing city and court circles. Charming people, whom Chase had never
seen before, seemed to spring into existence suddenly; the streets took
on a new air; the bands played with a keener zest and the army prinked
itself into a most amazingly presentable shape. Officers with noble
blood in their veins stepped out of the obscurity of months; swords
clanked merrily instead of dragging slovenly at the heels of their
owners; uni