dily from Italian palaces of the most unimpeachable Renaissance
variety. With quick intuition, she immediately recognized a
background for many a tale of courts and kings hitherto unpictured
to herself, and smiled with pleasure at the Princess who advanced,
most royally clad in long shell pink, lace-clouded draperies, to
meet them.

"You are the brave nurse my maid told me about," said the Princess;
"she saw it all. You ought to be very proud of your quick wits. I
have some sherry for you, and you must lie down a little and then I
will send you home."

Delia blushed and sank into a high carved chair, the General staring
curiously about him. "It wasn't anything at all," she said,
awkwardly, "if I could have a drink--"

Caroline checked the Princess as she moved toward a wonderful
colored decanter with wee sparkling tumblers like curved bits of
rainbow grouped about it.

"She means a drink of water," she explained politely. "She only
drinks water--sometimes a little tea, but most usu'lly water."

"The sherry will do her more good, I think," the Princess returned,
noticing Caroline for the first time, apparently, her hand on the
decanter.

At this point Miss Honey descended from a throne of faded
wine-colored velvet, and addressed the Princess with her most
impressive and explanatory manner.

"It won't do you any good at all to pour that out," she began, with
her curious little air of delivering a set address, prepared in
private some time before, "and I'll tell you why. Delia knew a nurse
once that drank some beer, and the baby got burned, and she never
would drink anything if you gave her a million dollars. Besides, it
makes her sick."

The Princess looked amused and turned to a maid who appeared at that
moment with apron strings rivalling Caroline's.

"Get me a glass of water, please," she said, "and what may I give
you--milk, perhaps? I don't know very well what children drink."

"Thank you, we'd like some water, too," Miss Honey returned primly,
"we had some soda-water, strawberry, once to-day."

Caroline cocked her head to one side and tried to remember what the
lady's voice made her think of; she scowled in vain while Delia
drank her water and smiled her thanks at the maid. Suddenly it came
to her. It was not like a person talking at all, it was like a
person singing. Up and down her voice traveled, loud and soft; it
was quite pleasant to hear it.

"Do you feel better now? I am very glad. Bring in t