sweetheart, six months to court in, a
week to propose in, another month in which to marry, and--well, the long
and the short of it is that since there were reasons of State why she
could not do me an injury in that respect, I could not understand why
she could have been so eager to find the lady in question. Putting up
her glasses she examined the people about her attentively.

"Ah! there she is!" she said at last. "Come this way, Prince, and
remember that you are to behave yourself very nicely, under pain of my
severest displeasure."

So saying, she led the way towards a lady and a gentleman who had
hitherto been hidden from our sight by the fashionable crowd. The man I
recognised immediately; but his companion I could not remember ever to
have seen before. One thing was certain, she was a wonderfully beautiful
girl. She was exquisitely dressed, and carried herself with a
distinction that raised her above the level of the other beauties. I
seemed to know her face, and yet I could not recall where I had seen it
before. Then, in a flash, I remembered.

"Princess Ottilie," I began, as soon as we stood face to face.

The Duchess stared at me in surprise.

"Can it be possible that you know each other?" she cried. "I had quite
made up my mind that you had not met, and I was hoping to do you both a
charitable action."

Turning to the girl before me, I said, "You are the Princess Ottilie,
are you not?"

"Yes," she answered; "and if I am not mistaken you are Prince Paul of
Pannonia. Do you remember that dreadful day when the horses ran away and
nearly killed me at the palace gates?"

"Is it likely I shall ever forget it?" I returned. "The whole scene
rises before my eyes at this moment. What an age has elapsed since
then!"

The Duchess and Lord Newmarket, who were kindly souls, strolled away,
leaving us together. I looked again at the girl; really she was
remarkably beautiful. There could be no sort of doubt about that. I had
never seen anyone in my life half so fair.

"Can we not discover a couple of chairs, and try to recall some other
impressions?" I inquired.

"It would be very pleasant," she replied; and we accordingly strolled
away together.

"If I may be allowed to say so, you have altered a great deal since I
last saw you," I began, when we had found our chairs and had seated
ourselves upon them.

"And perhaps I might return the compliment," she continued. "How strange
it seems that we should meet here