to see them often."

"Is that all?"

"It's enough, sometimes. But it's more than that. It's being dreadfully
unhappy if the other person isn't around, for one thing. It isn't really
a rational condition. People in love do mad things quite often."

"I know some one who is in love with Hedwig."

Nikky looked extremely conscious. There was, too, something the Crown
Prince was too small to see, something bitter and hard in his eyes.
"Probably a great many are," he said. "But I'm not sure she would care
to have us discuss it."

"It is my French tutor."

Nikky laughed suddenly, and flung the boy to his shoulder. "Of course
he is!" he cried gayly. "And you are, and the Chancellor. And I am, of
course." He stood the boy on the desk.

"Do you think she is in love, with you?" demanded the Crown Prince, very
seriously.

"Not a bit of it, young man!"

"But I think she is," he persisted. "She's always around when you are."

"Not this morning."

"But she is, when she can be. She never used to take riding-lessons. She
doesn't need them." This was a grievance, but he passed it over. "And
she always asks where you are. And yesterday, when you were away, she
looked very sad."

Nikky stood with his hand on the boy's shoulder, and stared out
through the window. If it were so, if this child, with his uncanny
sensitiveness, had hit on the truth! If Hedwig felt even a fraction of
what he felt, what a tragedy it all was!

He forced himself to smile, however. "If she only likes me just a
little," he said lightly, "it is more than I dare to hope, or deserve.
Come, now, we have spent too much time over love and delegations.
Suppose we go and ride."

But on the way across the Place Prince Ferdinand William Otto resumed
the subject for a moment. "If you would marry Hedwig," he suggested,
an anxious thrill in his voice, "you would live at the Palace always,
wouldn't you? And never have to go back to your regiment?" For the
bugaboo of losing Nikky to his regiment was always in the back of his
small head.

"Now, listen, Otto, and remember," said Nikky, almost sternly. "It
may be difficult for you to understand now, but some day you will. The
granddaughter of the King must marry some one of her own rank. No matter
how hard you and I may wish things to be different, we cannot change
that. And it would be much better never to mention this conversation to
your cousin. Girls," said Nikky, "are peculiar."

"Very well," said the Crown