ne man in the world for me;
because, when our marriage was suggested through official channels, I
made up my mind that I must win him first through love, or live single
all my days."

"What if he should be vexed at the deception, and refuse to forgive
you? You know, darling, we shall be in a rather curious position when
everything comes out, as we have made all our friends here under the
name of Mowbray. Of course, the excuse for what we did is, that our
real position is a hundred times higher than the one we assumed, and
all those to whom we've been introduced would be delighted to know us
in our own characters, at the end. But Leopold is a man, not a
romantic girl, as you are. He has always had a reputation for pride
and austerity, for being just before he would let himself be generous;
and it may be that to one of his nature, a wild whim like yours--"

"You think of him as he was before we met, not as he is now, if you
fancy he could be hard with a woman he really loved," said Virginia,
eagerly. "He'll forgive me, dear. I've no fear of him any more.
To-night, I've no fear of anything. He loves me--and--I'm Empress of
the world."

"Many women would be satisfied with Rhaetia," was the practical
response which jumped into the mind of the Grand Duchess; but she
would throw no more cold water upon the rose-flame of her daughter's
exaltation. She kissed the girl on the forehead, breathing a few words
of motherly sympathy; but when the Princess had flown off to her own
room to dress, she shook her diamond-starred head doubtfully.

Virginia's plan sounded poetical, and as easy to carry out as to turn
a kaleidoscope and form a charming new combination of color; or so it
had seemed while the young voice pleaded. But, when the happy face and
radiant eyes no longer illumined the path, the way ahead seemed dark.

To be sure the Princess had so far walked triumphantly along the
high-road to success, but it was not always a good beginning which led
to a good end; and the Grand Duchess felt, as she rang for Ernestine,
that her nerves would be strained to breaking point until matters were
definitely settled, for better or for worse.

Virginia had never been lovelier than she was that night at dinner,
and Egon von Breitstein's admiration for her beauty had in it a
fascinating new ingredient. Until yesterday, he had said to himself,
"If she be not fair to me, what care I how fair she be?" But now,
there was a vague idea that she