letter and read
about the happy event in the newspapers, it was different. She felt
suddenly cold and sick under the blow; hurt and defrauded, and even
jealous. She knew that she would hate the girl--some wretched,
commonplace girl, with stick-out teeth, perhaps, or no figure, and no
idea of the way to wear her clothes or do her hair.

But she swallowed hard, and clenched her fingers under the voluminous
letter about Dandy Dinmont. "Oh, so our friend is going to be
married?" she remarked lightly.

"That depends," replied the Grand Duchess, laughing mysteriously, with
a catch in her voice, as if she had been a nervous girl. "That
depends. You must guess--but no, I won't tease you. My dear, my dear,
after Dal's letter, coming as it has in the midst of such a
conversation, I shall be a firm believer in telepathy. This letter, on
its way to us, must have put the thoughts into our minds, and the
words on our tongues. It may be that the Emperor of Rhaetia will
marry; it may not. For, my sweet, beautiful girl, it depends
upon--you."

"Me?" The voice did not sound to Virginia like her own. Was she too,
dreaming? Were they both in a dream?

"He wishes to marry you."

All the letters dropped from Virginia's lap, dropped, and fluttered to
the grass slowly, like falling rose leaves. Scarcely knowing what she
did, she clasped her hands over the young bosom shaken with the sudden
throbbing of her heart. Perhaps such a betrayal of feeling by a Royal
maiden decorously sued (by proxy) for her hand, was scarcely correct;
but Virginia had no thought for rules of conduct, as laid down for her
too often by her mother.

"He wishes to marry--me?" she echoed, dazedly. "Why?"

"Providence must have drawn your inclination toward him, dearest. It
is indeed a romance. Some day, no doubt, it will be told to the world
in history."

"But how did he--" Virginia broke off, and began again: "Did he tell
this to Dal, and ask him to write you?"

"Not--not precisely that," admitted the Grand Duchess, her face
changing from satisfaction to uneasiness. For Virginia was difficult
in some ways, though adorable in others, and held such peculiar ideas
about life--inherited from her American grandmother--that it was
impossible to be sure how she would receive the most ordinary
announcements.

The Princess's rapt expression faded, like the passing of dawn.

"Not precisely that?" she repeated. "Then what--how--"

"Well, perhaps--though it's not str