a moment the man looked wistful, as if
it were a pain to him that he would have no other place in her
thoughts, nor time to win it, since there sat a lady in a tourist's
hat, and eye-glasses, and the episode was practically closed. He
looked too, as if there was something he would add to his last words
if he could; but Miss Portman saw the two advancing figures, and
shrieked a shrill cry of thanksgiving.

"Oh, I have been so _dreadfully_ anxious!" she groaned, "What _has_
kept you? Have you had an accident? Thank heaven you're here. I began
to give up hope of ever seeing you again alive."

"Perhaps you never would, if it hadn't been for the help of this good
and brave new friend of mine," said Virginia, hurrying into
explanations. "I got into dreadful difficulties up there; it was much
worse than I thought, but Leopold--" (Miss Portman started, stared
with her near-sighted eyes at the tall, brown man with bare knees;
colored, gasped, and swallowed hard after a quick glance at her
Princess.) "Leopold happened to be near, came to my help and saved me.
Wasn't it providential? Oh, I assure you, Leopold is a monarch--of
chamois hunters. Give him your cloak and ruecksack to carry with mine,
dear Miss Manchester. He's kind enough to say that he'll guide us all
the way down to Alleheiligen, and I'm glad to accept his service."

Miss Portman--a devout Royalist, and firm believer in the right of
kings--grew crimson, her nose especially, as it invariably did at
moments of strong emotion.

The Emperor of Rhaetia, here, caught and trapped, like Pegasus bound
to the plow, and forced to carry luggage as if he were a common
porter--worst of all, _her_ insignificant, twice wretched luggage!

She would have protested if she had dared; but she did not dare, and
was obliged to see that imperial form--unmistakably imperial, it
seemed to her, though masquerading in humble guise--loaded down with
her ruecksack and her large golf cape, with goloshes in the pocket.

Crushed under the magnitude of her discovery, dazzled by the
surprising brilliance of the Princess's capture, stupefied by the fear
of saying or doing the wrong thing and ruining her idol's bizarre
triumph, poor Miss Portman staggered as Virginia helped her to her
feet.

"Why, you're cramped with sitting so long!" cried the Princess. "Be
careful! But Leopold will give you his arm. Leopold will take you
down, won't you, Leopold?"

And the Imperial Eagle, who had hoped for b