Old Bauer watched them till they disappeared around a turn in the road.
He returned to his forge, shaking his head as if confronted by a
problem too abstruse even for his German mind.

"Well, he's an American, so I will not waste any pity on him. The pity
is that she must wed old Red-nose."

It would have been if she had!

So the Princess and Prince Charming rode into the country, and they
talked about a thousand and one things. Had she ever been to France?
Yes. To England? She had received part of her education there. Did
she know the Princess Hildegarde? Slightly. What was she like? She
was a madcap, irresponsible, but very much abused. Did she know Mr.
Warrington, the American consul? She had seen him on his morning
rides. Wasn't it a fine world? It was, indeed.

Once they stopped at a farm. The girl refused to dismount, bidding Max
go in and ask for a drink of milk. Max obeyed with alacrity, returning
with two foaming goblets of warm milk.

From time to time the princess stifled the "small voice." It was
wrong, and yet it wasn't. What worried her was the thought that Betty
might take it into her head to follow, and then everything would be
spoiled. Every now and then she turned her head and sighed
contentedly; the road to rearward was always clear.

"Follow me!" she cried suddenly, even daringly.

A stone wall, three feet high, ran along at their right. The
foreground was hard and firm. Pressing the reins on the filly's
withers, she made straight for the wall, cleared it, and drew up on the
other side. Now, Max hadn't the least idea that the horse under him
was a hunter, so I might very well say that he took his life in his
hands as he followed her. But Dandy knew his business. He took the
wall without effort. A warm glow went over Max when he found that he
hadn't broken his neck. Together they galloped down the field and came
back for the return jump. This, too, was made easily. Max's
admiration knew no bounds. It was a dangerous pastime in more ways
than one.

At eight o'clock they turned toward home, talking about another
thousand and one things.

"It has been a delightful ride," suggested Max, with an eye to the
future.

"I take this road nearly every morning," said she, looking out upon the
water, which was ruffling itself and quarreling along the sandy shores.

Max said nothing, but he at once made up his mind that he would take
the same road, provided he could in a