would I not make an Empress?" she echoed, stepping out from the
shadow of her favorite elm, into the noontide radiance of summer.

The sun poured over her hair, as she stood with uplifted head, and
threaded it with a network of living gold, gleaming into the dark gray
eyes rimmed with black lashes and turning them to jewels. Her fair
skin was as flawless in the unsparing light as the petals of lilies,
and her features, though a repetition of those which had made a
Virginia girl famous long ago, were carved with Royal perfection.

"There is no real reason why you should not make an Empress, dearest,"
said her mother, in pride of the girl's beauty, and desiring,
womanlike, to promote her child's happiness. "Stranger things have
happened. Only last week, at Windsor, the dear Queen was saying what
a pity poor Henri was not more--but no matter, he is well enough.
However, if--And when one comes to think of it, it's perhaps not
unnatural that Leopold of Rhaetia has never been mentioned for you,
although there could be nothing against the marriage. What a match for
any woman! A supreme one. Not a Royal girl but would go on her knees
to him, if--"

"I wouldn't," said Virginia. "I might worship him, yet he should go on
his knees to _me_."

"I doubt if those proud knees of his will ever bend in homage to man
or woman," replied the Grand Duchess. "But that's a mere fantasy. I'm
serious now, darling, and I very much wish you would be."

"Please, I'd rather not," smiled Virginia, uneasily. "Let us not talk
of the Emperor any more--and never again after this, Mother. You know
now. That's all that's necessary, and--"

"But it's not all that's necessary. You have put the idea into my
head, and it's not an unpleasing idea. Besides, it has evidently been
in _your_ head for a long time--and--I should like to see you
happy--see you in a position such as you're entitled to grace. You
are a very beautiful girl (there's no disguising that from you, as
you know you are the image of your grandmother, who was a celebrated
beauty) and the best blood in Europe runs in your veins. You are
royal, and yet--and yet our circumstances are such that--in fact, for
the present, we're somewhat handicapped."

"We're beggars," said Virginia, laughing; but it was not a happy
laugh.

"Cophetua married the beggar maid," the Grand Duchess reminded her,
with elaborate playfulness. "And, you know, all sorts of things have
happened in history--much strang