earance, he was an
attractive contrast to the Italians, tall, broad-shouldered, very blond,
and high cheekboned; he might have been taken for an Englishman.

Presently her Majesty, the Dowager Queen, appeared in the royal box, and
every one in the audience arose.

"Shall we see both queens to-night at the ball?" Nina asked the Princess
Sansevero.

"No; only Queen Elena. The Queen Mother has never been present at a ball
since King Umberto's tragic death."

"I wish this evening were over," said Nina, with a half-frightened sigh.

The Contessa Olisco, who had caught the remark and the sigh, asked
sympathetically, "But why?"

"I was nervous enough over going alone to the presentation the other
afternoon, but to go to a ball is much worse."

"But you won't be alone. We shall be there! You may have your endurance
put to the test, though. Are you very strong?"

Nina laughed. "You mean, have I the strength to stand indefinitely
without dropping to the floor?"

"Ah! you know, then, how it is. Still--if it is hard for us, think what
it must be for their Majesties. To-night, for instance, the King does
not once sit down!"

Nina opened her eyes wide. "I thought the King and Queen sat on their
throne. But then--I had an idea the presentation would be like that,
too--and that I should have to courtesy all across a room, and back out
again."

The Contessa Zoya seemed to be occupied with a reminiscence that amused
her. "If you have a special audience, you do, or if you go to take tea.
We had a private audience yesterday with Queen Margherita and--I had on
a long train--and clinging. Of course, entering the room is not hard--I
made my three reverences very nicely, very gracefully, I thought,--one
at the door, one half-way across the room, and one directly before the
Queen, as I kissed her hand. But when the audience was over, the
distance between where her Majesty sat and the door of exit--my dear, it
seemed leagues! One must back all the way and make three deep
courtesies! The first was simple, the second, half-way across the room,
was difficult. I was already standing on nearly a meter of train, and
when I got to the door--well, I just walked all the way up the back of
my dress, lost my balance and _fell out_!"

Nina laughed at the picture, but was glad the presentation had not been
like that.

"When you go to take tea with the Queen it is difficult, too," Zoya,
having begun to explain, went on with all the details th