s the Castle Guardesses. _They_ were mostly old
women with bleared, dim eyes, and they wore such faded--silks.

"_My_ silk dress is rather faded," murmured the little Princess
wistfully. She smoothed down the scant calico skirt with her brown
little fingers. The patch in it she would not see.

"I shall have to have the Royal Dress-maker make me another one soon.
Let me see,--what color shall I choose? I'd _like_ my gold-colored
velvet made up. I'm tired of wearing royal purple dresses all the
time, though of course I know they're appropriater. I wonder what
color the Prince would like best? I should rather choose that color."

The Princess's little brown hands were clasped about one knee, and
she was rocking herself slowly back and forth, her eyes, wistful and
wide, on the path the Prince would come. She was tired to-day and it
was harder to wait.

"But when he comes I shall say, 'Hear, O Prince. Verily, verily, I
did not know which color you would like to find me dressed--I mean
arrayed--in, and so I beseech thee excuse--_pardon_, I mean--mine
infirmity.'"

The Princess was not sure of "infirmity," but it sounded well. She
could not think of a better word.

"And then--I _think_ then--he will take me in his arms, and his face
will be all sweet and splendid like the Mother o' God's in the
picture, and he will whisper,--I don't think he will say it out
loud,--oh, I'd rather not!--'Verily, Princess,' he will whisper, 'Oh,
verily, _verily_, thou hast found favor in my sight!' And that will
mean that he doesn't care what color I am, for he--loves--me."

Lower and lower sank the solemn voice of the Princess. Slower and
slower rocked the little, lean body. The birds themselves stopped
singing at the end. In the Secret Place it was very still.

"Oh no, no, no,--not _verily!_" breathed the Princess, in soft awe.
For the wonder of it took her breath away. She had never in her life
been loved, and now, at this moment, it seemed so near! She thought
she heard the footsteps of the Prince.

They came nearer. The crisp twigs snapped under his feet. He was
whistling.

"Oh, I can't look!--I can't!" gasped the little Princess, but she
turned her face to the west,--she had always known it would be from
the west, and lifted closed eyes to his coming. When he got to the
Twisted Willow she might dare to look,--to the Little Willow Twins,
anyway.

"And I shall know when he does," she thought. "I shall know the
minute!"

Her f