," he said, "but there are difficulties that you don't
understand."

"Oh, yes, I think I do," she answered. "Of course with us there are
always difficulties. The choice is so limited."

"I should rather incline to say that it is fixed."

"You mean just to the two I told you of? But you wouldn't have either of
them."

"Perhaps _I_ ought to say that _I_ am fixed, then; I can't very well see
myself changing."

"Oh, no, Max, no! Don't say that!" cried his mother, alarmed. "It is so
very important that you should marry. And people are beginning to expect
it."

"Yes, but as I say, there are difficulties--religious ones."

This was strange news for the Queen. Had Max a conscience then? It was a
portent for which she had not been prepared.

"Of course," she said, "I don't want to ask questions."

"Perhaps you had better not."

"But I do want you to settle."

"I am settled," said Max.

It was dreadful to hear him say so, and a horrible idea that he had
contracted a secret marriage with that foreign woman crossed her mind.
Was this the difficulty that she did not understand? She grew timorous,
afraid that he was going to tell her something--set before her some
moral problem which she could not possibly solve. What if he were trying
to entrap her, to lure her into taking sides with him over something no
King or Government could countenance? From such a danger as that all her
conventional femininity gathered itself in a panic-stricken bundle and
fled.

"Max, dear," she said, "I would much rather you didn't tell me."

"I quite agree," he replied.

"But----" She paused, searching her mind for succor; and then, having
found it, "Why not see the Archbishop about it?" she urged; "I am sure
he could remove all your difficulties."

Max almost jumped out of his skin before he perceived how guileless had
been his mother's remark. But the opportunity was certainly not to be
missed.

"I should be delighted to see him," he said. "Indeed, I think he more
than any one might solve my difficulty."

"Then you shall!" cried his mother, and fondly believed that, without
becoming entangled herself she had wrought a good work and provided
means to a solution. The Archbishop would, of course, be able to solve
for him any difficulties of conscience, and to put such things as--well,
anything he might have done in the past--in its right and proper place.

Her Majesty had a great belief in archbishops. At the hands of one she
had b