wn, undreamed-of ways. And then he gilds the
world and makes it into heaven."

"Does he?" almost whispered Theodora.

"And think what it must have been to a queen, married to a tiresome,
unattractive Bourbon--and Fersen was young and gallant and thoughtful
for her slightest good, and, from what one hears and has read, he must
have understood her, and been her friend as well--and sometimes she must
have forgotten about being a queen for a few moments--in his arms--"

Theodora drew a long, long breath, but she did not speak.

"And perhaps, if we knew, the remembrance of those moments may have
been her glory and consolation in the last dark hours."

"Oh! I hope so!" said Theodora.

Then she walked on quickly into the quaint, little, low-ceilinged
bedroom. Oh, she must get out into the air--or she must talk of
furniture, or curtain stuffs, or where the bath had been!

Love, love, love! And did it mean life after all?--since even this
far-off love of this poor dead queen had such power to move her. And
perhaps Fersen was like--but this last thought caused her heart to beat
too wildly.

There were no roses now, she was very pale as she said: "It saddens me,
this. Let us go out into the sun."

They descended the staircase again almost in silence, and on through the
little door in the court-yard wall into the beautiful garden beyond.

"Show me where she was happy, where you know she was happy before any
troubles came. I want to be gay again," said Theodora.

So they walked down the path towards the _hameau_.

"What have I done?" Lord Bracondale wondered. "Her adorable face went
quite white. Her soul is no longer the open book I have found it. There
are depths and depths, but I must fathom them all."

"Oh, how I love the spring-time!" exclaimed Theodora, and her voice was
full of relief. "Look at those greens, so tender and young, and that
peep of the sky! Oh, and those dear, pretty little dolls' houses! Let us
hasten; I want to go and play there, and make butter, too! Don't you?"

"Ah, this is good," he said; "and I want just what you want."

Her face was all sweet and joyous as she turned it to him.

"Let's pretend we lived then," she said, "and I am the miller's daughter
of this dear little mill, and you are the bailiff's son who lives
opposite, and you have come with your corn to be ground. Oh, and I shall
make a bargain, and charge you dear!" and she laughed and swung her
parasol back, while the sun glorif