might have
been taken for a country squire, was sitting opposite, playing with
the ears of a spaniel lying on his knee.

The tall lady moved aside, as they entered, and Charlie noticed a
little glance of affectionate welcome pass between her and the
duke--for the pair were devotedly attached to each other--then he
bowed to the seated lady.

"Madam," he said, "allow me to present to you the two young
officers, of whose bravery Charles of Sweden has written so
strongly, and whose parents have, with other gentlemen, been driven
from the land by villainy."

The young men bowed deeply. Anne held out her hand, and each in
turn, bending on one knee, raised it to his lips.

"There," she said, "let that be the beginning and end of ceremony.
This is not a court gathering, but a family meeting. I want to hear
your stories, and I want you, for the time, to forget that I am
Anne of England. I know that your fathers have always been faithful
to our house, and I hope that their sons will, ere long, do as good
service for me as they have done for a foreign prince.

"You have not seen these gentlemen yet, Sarah?"

"No, my husband has kept them to himself."

"I have had but little time to give them, Sarah, and wanted it all,
to question them on the Swedish modes of warfare."

"And you thought I should be an interruption?

"I am glad to meet you both, nevertheless. Since my husband likes
you, I am sure to do so;" and she smiled pleasantly, as she gave a
hand to each.

They were then introduced to the Prince Consort, George of Denmark.

At this moment, supper was announced. The queen and the duchess
went in together, followed by the four gentlemen.

"Lord Godolphin and Mr. Harley were to have been of the party
tonight," the queen said, as she took her seat at table, "but I put
them off till tomorrow, as I wanted to hear these gentlemen's
story."

During the meal, the conversation was gay. As soon as the last dish
was removed, the party returned to the other room. Then the queen
called upon the young men to tell their story.

Charlie began, and related up to the time when he had aided in the
rescue of his father from the hands of his escort. Harry told the
story of their military experiences, and then Charlie related his
narrow escape at Warsaw, his adventure with the brigands, and the
fight with the wolves.

"That is the most exciting of all," the queen said.

"I think that even you, general, would rather have gone t