a Prince, you know. Don't say I have deceived you."

"You are _my_ Prince," said Hyacinth proudly.

"My dear, I am a king among men to-day, and you are my queen, but
that's in our own special country of two."

"If you are so particular," said Hyacinth, with a smile, "Father will
make you a proper Prince directly he comes back."

"Will he? That's what I'm wondering. You see he doesn't know yet
about our little present to the Countess."

* * * * *

But it is quite time we got back to Belvane; we have left her alone
too long. It was more than Udo did. Just now he was with her in her
garden, telling her for the fifth time an extraordinarily dull story
about an encounter of his with a dragon, apparently in its dotage, to
which Belvane was listening with an interest which surprised even the
narrator.

"And then," said Udo, "I jumped quickly to the right, and whirling
my--no, wait a bit, that was later--I jumped quickly to my left--yes,
I remember it now, it _was_ my left--I jumped quickly to my left, and
whirling my----"

He stopped suddenly at the expression on Belvane's face. She was
looking over his shoulder at something behind him.

"Why, whoever is this?" she said, getting to her feet.

Before Udo had completely cleared his mind of his dragon, the Princess
and Coronel were upon them.

"Ah, Countess, I thought we should find you together," said Hyacinth
archly. "Let me present to you my friend, the Duke Coronel. Coronel,
this is Countess Belvane, a very dear and faithful friend of mine.
Prince Udo, of course, you know. His Royal Highness and the Countess
are--well, it isn't generally known at present, so perhaps I oughtn't
to say anything."

Coronel made a deep bow to the astonished Belvane.

[Illustration: _Let me present to you my friend the Duke Coronel_]

"Your humble servant," he said. "You will, I am sure, forgive me if I
say how glad I am to hear your news. Udo is one of my oldest
friends"--he turned and clapped that bewildered Highness on the
back--"aren't you, Udo? and I can think of no one more suitable in
every way." He bowed again, and turned back to the Prince. "Well,
Udo, you're looking splendid. A different thing, Countess, from when
I last saw him. Let me see, that must have been just the day before
he arrived in Euralia. Ah, what a miracle-worker True Love is!"

I think one of the things which made Belvane so remarkable was that
she was never afraid of remaining sile