he very pink of politeness, I
could not like him.

I had spent a happy fortnight at the Towers when the incident occurred
which will always remain the most vivid in my memory. A sudden and
severe frost had set in. All the trees turned to white coral, the lake
was frozen stone hard. There were naturally many skating parties
organised, and in these Nadine and I generally joined. One morning,
after we had been skating for nearly half an hour, the princess averred
herself tired, and said she would stand out for a time. The general
declared that he would also rest awhile, and the two left the lake
together, and stood watching the skaters at the edge of the pine wood.

By-and-by I too grew a little weary, and thought I would go for a stroll
by myself through the woods I loved so much. The air was fresh and keen,
squirrels jumped about in the trees, and the storm-cock sang blithely.
Through an opening in the glade I saw the princess and the general
chatting _en tete-a-tete_.

As I came up the former was saying, in a tone of earnest raillery:

"Now, tell me, general, is there nothing you regret doing, or having
allowed to be done, when you were administrator of O----?"

She spoke with a strange, almost tragic, earnestness, and when her
companion replied:

"No, on my honour, princess."

She bowed gravely. A moment later, with a careless laugh, she opened a
gold bonbonniere full of chocolate caramels, and held it temptingly
towards him.

He hesitated, and as he did so I put my arm through the branches, and
with a playful:

"By your leave, princess," attempted to help myself.

Nadine started, and closed the box with a snap, a strange pallor coming
over her white, set face. The general looked gravely at her, and then,
raising his hat, with a "Till we meet again," walked leisurely away.

I must own to being slightly offended, I was childishly fond of
chocolate, and the act seemed so inexplicably discourteous. We walked to
the house in silence, neither of us speaking, until we reached the side
entrance. Here the princess paused by the nail-studded oaken door, and
said:

"There will come a day when things done in secret will be declared upon
the housetops, then (if not before) you will know the secret of the gold
bonbonniere. Say, 'Forgiven, Nadine.'"

And I said it with my hand in hers.

How glad I was afterwards that I had done so.

II.

THE PASSING OF NADINE.

Throughout the great house of Whichello Tower