persuaded the Duchess to fulfil the wish. Instead of a gravestone
there was a sundial, with the motto "All her days were happy days and
all her hours were hours of sun."

Robert Lorillard's cottage was within walking distance of the
churchyard, and I imagine he often went there. Anyhow, he went nowhere
else. After some months an anonymous book of poems appeared--poems of
such extreme beauty and pure passion that all the critics talked about
them. Bye and bye others began to talk, and it leaked out through the
publisher that Lorillard was the author.

I loved those poems so much that I couldn't resist scribbling a few
lines to Robert in my first flush of enthusiasm. He didn't answer. I'd
hardly expected a reply; but now, long after, here was a letter from him
introducing a girl who wanted to be my secretary!

He wrote:

DEAR PRINCESS DI MIRAMARE,

I don't ask if you remember me. I _know_ you do, because of one we
have both greatly loved. I meant to thank you long ago for the kind
things you took the trouble to say about my verses. The thoughts
your name called up were very poignant. I put off acknowledging
your note. But you will forgive me, because you are a real friend;
and for that reason I venture to send you a strong personal
recommendation with Miss Joyce Arnold, who will ask for a position
as your secretary. I saw your advertisement in the _Times_, and
showed it to Miss Arnold, offering to introduce her to you. She
nursed me in France when she was a V. A. D. (she has a decoration,
bye the bye, for her courage in hideous air raids), and she has
been my secretary for some months. All I need say about her I can
put into a few words. _She is absolutely perfect._ It will be a
great wrench for me to lose her valuable help with the work I give
my time to nowadays, but I am going abroad for a while, and shall
not need a secretary.

You too have lived and suffered since we met! Do take from me
remembrances and thoughts of a friendship which will never fade.

Yours sincerely always,

ROBERT LORILLARD.

I'd been too much excited when she said, "I have an introduction to you
from Captain Lorillard," to do more than glance at the girl, and ask her
to sit down. But as I finished the letter I looked up, to meet the gaze
of a pair of gray eyes.

Caught staring, Miss Arnold blushed; and what with those eyes and tha