some time. I am sure thou wilt be kind to them; for I know thou
lovest me truly.

"Oh, Walter, when thou speakest to me, with mine ears I hang upon the
flower of thy so earnest speech, and they drink in the precious
sweetness from its bloom."

I kissed away love's dewdrops from her cheeks, and now I say it truly,
without the recklessness of youth, there has been only one other moment
in my life in which I have felt such heart-expanding joy. But I shall
tell ye of that anon.

So there we sat and spoke those words which are so dear to lovers,
until that set was over, and we were reluctantly compelled to go back
and join the others in the ball-room.

So soon as I had taken Hazel unto her place near by the Queen, I
started in search of Harleston. I found him engaged in conversation
with my lord Hastings. As I came up he turned and exclaimed:--"Ah! the
lost is found. I had surely thought that thou must have grown tired of
the dance and gone to bed."

The High Chamberlain here left us, and took his place beside the King.

"Frederick, I have something of importance to say to thee. Kindly come
with me to another room, so that we may not be overheard; as that which
I am about to tell is of a private nature."

So we entered the room which had that night been the scene of two so
important conversations. When I had made sure that we were quite alone
I motioned Harleston to a chair, whilst I remained standing before him.

"My friend," said I, when he was seated, "I have two communications of
importance to make. The first I know thou shalt be pleased to hear,
the other is not so pleasant; for it may mean great trouble to us all,
if mine interpretation of what I overheard be correct. The first is
this,--" and there I stopped and stood first on the one foot and then
on the other, and felt my face get red, for all the world like a small
boy making a confession when he has done something wrong. Why I should
feel like this I know not, unless it be one of the many peculiarities
of that very eccentric person known as Master Human Nature, of whom we
know so little.

My friend regarded me with the faintest suspicion of a smile playing
around the corners of his mouth, and also showing itself in a barely
perceptible twinkle in his eyes.

At length he said:--"Well, Walter, what is it? Out with it man, or
thou shalt never know whether I will be glad to hear it or no."

"Well, then,--_I have told her_," I almost whispered.