lfare?" Her voice suddenly softened. She
put out her hand, now trembling with her emotion, and drew Suzanna close
to her. "My sweet little princess," she said, "no one in all the world
stands alone. A little silver chain binds each one of us to his fellow.
You may break that chain and you may feel yourself free, but you will be
a greater slave than ever."

"I think I understand," said Suzanna, and indeed she had a fair meaning
of the other's words. "The chain runs from wrist to wrist and is rubber
plated."

With a sudden change of manner the old lady spoke again, going back to
her former imperious manner: "Am I thus to starve because no slave
springs forth to do my bidding?"

At this important moment the maid reappeared. She came swiftly down the
garden to the old lady. She paused when she saw Suzanna. She had a very
gentle face, Suzanna decided, and when she spoke to the old lady it was
tenderly as one would speak to a child. Suzanna decided that she liked
her.

Said Suzanna: "The queen wants her strawberries wet with dew and buried
in their own green leaves."

"The queen," returned the maid, "shall have her luncheon."

"And the Princess Cecilia," said the queen, "shall eat with me, Letty."

Suzanna was very glad to hear this since for a long time past she had
been hungry, and had been thinking rather longingly of the midday dinner
at home.

The maid left, but in a very short time she came into the garden again
and announced that lunch was ready in the dining-room.

"Walk behind me," said the old lady, and Suzanna took her place behind
the queen. In that sequence they went down the path, up the four steps
leading to the little house, through the open door, and paused in a
short, narrow hall, through which Suzanna and her sister and brother had
often walked.

"Place your coat here," said the old lady, indicating a black walnut
hall-tree.

Suzanna did as she was bid and then followed her hostess into the
dining-room, to the left of the small hall, where a table
flower-decked, stood set for two.

Suzanna sat down at the place the queen indicated and waited
interestedly. In time the maid brought on a silver tray with little cups
of cream soup, and then cold chicken buried in pink jelly, a most
delicious concoction. Finally there was cocoa with whipped cream and
marshmallows and melting angel food cake.

The old lady ate daintily, and long before Suzanna's appetite was
satisfied she announced that she was