oy, "I am sure you must be
very good."

She looked at him again, smiling.

IV.

THE next morning early Mark was sent for to the Prince. He was shown
into the dressing-room, but the Prince was already dressed. He was
seated in an easy-chair reading a small closely-printed sheet of paper,
upon which the word "Wien" was conspicuous to the boy. The Prince bade
the little schoolmaster be seated on a fauteuil near him, and looked so
kindly that he felt quite at his ease.

"Well! little one," said the Prince, "how findest thou thyself? Hast
thou found any friends yet in this place?"

"The Signorina has been very kind to me, Highness," said the boy.

"Ah!" said the Prince, smiling, "thou hast found that out already. That
is not so bad. I thought you two would be friends. What has the
Signorina told thee?"

"She has told me of the actors who are so clever and so strange. She
says that they are all in love with her."

"That is not unlikely. And what else?"

"She has told me of the Princess and of her servente."

"Indeed!" said the Prince, with the slightest possible appearance of
increased interest; "what does she say of the Princess?"

"She says that she is a bad woman, and that she hates her."

"Ah! the Signorina appears to have formed opinions of her own, and to
be able to express them. What else?"

"She says that the servente is the devil himself! But she does not mean
the real devil. She says that the servente is a much more real devil
than he! Is not that horrible, Highness?"

The Prince looked at Mark for two or three moments, with a kindly but
strange far-reaching look, which struck the boy, though he did not in
the least understand it.

"I did well, little one," he said at last, "when I sent for thee."

There was a pause. The Prince seemed to have forgotten the presence of
the boy, who already was sufficiently of a courtier to hold his tongue.

At last the Prince spoke.

"And the children," he said; "thou hast seen them?"

"Yes," said Mark, with a little shy smile, "I did badly there. I
insulted the gracious Fraeulein by calling her 'Princess,' which she said
only the little Princes should do; and I told her I was come to teach
her and her little brother, and that I should do it in my own way or not
at all."

The Prince looked as though he feared that this unexpected amusement
would be almost too delightful.

"Well, little one," he said, "thou hast begun well. Better than this
none cou