and
wit--a certain Miss Patricia Ferris, for whom, it was whispered, more
than one duel had already been fought--a royal prince wounded, and a
gallant ex-ambassador driven into exile.

The Princess Elsa, of course, had no dealings with the coteries of
Carlton House and the Brighthelmstone Pavilion. But as often as Queen
Charlotte held a reception or issued from her darkened palace of
Windsor, the Princess brought Patsy from Kew to help her Majesty to
entertain.

Once, even, she had been taken by the Princess Elizabeth to visit the
King. In the same ground-floor suite of rooms which Charles I had used
on his passage from Carisbrook to the scaffold, she found a blind old
man sitting alone, and playing quietly on the harpsichord. His beard was
long and silvery, and he smiled as he played. He heard their steps and
stopped. Then he said, graciously, "Come hither, Eliza--who is your
friend?"

On being told that it was a young Scots lady, a friend of the Princess
of Saxe-Hanover-Brunswick, the King laughed a little as was his wont.
Then he went on talking rapidly, more to himself than to his visitors.

"There is good sense in Elsa, though she did lead us a dance with her
foolish fancy for our ambassador at Vienna--I forget his name. She had
the Hapsburg temper too, and would have run off with him if he had given
her any encouragement. But he knew what was due to a princess and stood
aside, telling her to be a good girl and marry old Brunschweig. The
Emperor of Austria owed him something for that--as well as our people. I
only hope that he got his deserts. Eh, what's that you say, Eliza?"

"Only that this young lady is the niece of Mr. Julian Wemyss," said his
daughter.

The old king chuckled a little and patted the girl's unseen head.

"Is she dark or fair?--What--what? Dark--and very pretty! Well, that
makes it more necessary that she should be looked after. Ah, I see well
that if both the Emperor and I have forgotten to do something for
Wemyss, Elsa is repaying him herself. Good-bye, good-bye, I am weary
this morning. Bid Elsa come to see me another day. Surely she is staying
in the Castle--she at least has not forsaken me like the rest."

"Oh, no," said the Princess Elizabeth, "Elsa and Miss Ferris are here
nearly every day helping the Queen. And yesterday they had all the boys
from Eton College in love with them. They would not look at us at all.
We intend to leave Miss Ferris at home for the future."

They went