s rather a long story, hurry
as she would, because the King interrupted with so many questions.
But she wouldn't tell what the Secret was until "the very last thing."

"Um," said the King, when she had finally divulged it. That was all he
said; but the way he said it made Mary Alice know that the Secret was
right.

XI

A MEETING AND A PARTING

The next day was full of activities which kept the house guests far
afield. But Mary Alice had an exciting day at home; for the King had
spoken to the Duchess about her and asked to have her presented to him
that evening.

The Duke and Duchess had spent a fortune on the entertainment of their
King; had provided for his beguiling every costly diversion that could
be thought of. But they had not been able to give him anything new,
and they felt that he was enduring the visit amiably rather than
actually enjoying it. It remained, apparently, for the Girl from
Nowhere to give him real pleasure.

So the Duchess--secretly sympathetic--left orders with her French maid
that Mary Alice was to be made ready to see the King.

Mary Alice chose the simplest thing that rigorous French maid would
allow and kept as close as possible to her own individual and
unpretending style. But even then, she was a pretty resplendent young
person as she stole timidly down to find the Duchess and be presented
to the King.

The guests were assembled in the great drawing-room, and Mary Alice was
frightened almost to death when she saw the splendour of the scene and
realized what part she had to play in it.

Then, in a daze, she was swept forward and presented, and found herself
looking into eyes that smiled as with an old friendliness. So she
smiled back again, and soon forgot the onlookers, answering His
Majesty's kindly questions.

[Illustration: ". . . found herself looking into eyes that smiled as
with an old friendliness."]

He turned from her, presently, to speak to some one else, and Mary
Alice caught sight then of a face she knew. For an instant, she stood
staring. For an instant, he stood staring back, as unbelieving as she.

Then, "You seem to be on friendly terms with His Majesty," he said.
"Have you showed him how to play the game, too?"

"No," Mary Alice answered, "but I've told him the Secret."

As soon as they could, they escaped--those two--out on to the terrace
where the stars were shining thickly overhead.

"On one of those--those times in New York when we t