ght--and a no less wonderful
woman.

Once more they sat down upon the bench where they had talked two short
days before--but what a difference! Then his heart was sorely
troubled--now all was peace.

Like a sea of life, Spring covered the world. The snowy blossom-foam
fluttered on the trees; all was bathed in a wondrous hazy glow.
Everywhere miracles were working. And then Paul awoke from his dream
and spoke.

"Natalie!" he said, "I cannot part from you. I have told you that I
love you." And then with moist eyes and flaming lips he cried: "Be
mine--and love me!"

Oh! then fell the evening gold upon Paul's soul! Like a fairy bell
came the sound of her voice upon his ears:

"My Knight of Love," she said, "what wouldst thou have more?"

And at those words, Paul folded her within his arms.

* * * * *

Later as they sat there in the moonlight, she told Paul more of the
unworthy marriage which had been so nearly forced upon her; how Boris
being heir-apparent of a Balkan state--Sovna--had been able to enlist
the help of the Tsar in coercing her. Many of the Sovnian subjects
were Slavs who had emigrated from her own province and the Tsar felt
that such a union would do much toward cementing the friendship
between the two countries. As for Boris, political reasons had little
to do with the suit. Her fortune was all he cared for. And at the
thought of his perfidy, so nearly triumphant, she trembled anew with
horror.

And then as Paul comforted her, he told her with amusement how he had
interpreted the note that she had written him in Paris--that he had
thought her a secret agent of the Dalmatian government.

The lady laughed at that.

"And when, pray, were you disillusioned?" she asked him. "Two days ago
you called me 'Princess'--in the garden here. How did you know that?"

Paul looked at her in amazement.

"Princess!" he repeated. And then he remembered that he had used the
word--as an endearing name, that seemed so well to fit his love.

"What do you mean, my Natalie?" he cried. "Are you really of royal
blood?"

"Yes, Paul," she answered. "You did not know it then? I wanted to
appear to you as a commoner--just a normal, every day woman. And see!
you loved me when you thought I was a mere servant! That is the
wonderful part of it all to me."

Yet Paul's heart sank as the possible meaning of the news started
forth to his consciousness. Was not her rank an impassable barrier
be