They went on talking like that, until it was too dull to
bear, so I slipped out and wandered away to see what I could find.
When I grew tired and went back, Laddie was sitting on the Magic Carpet
with his back against the beech, and the Princess was on the throne
reading from a little book, reading such interesting things that I
decided to listen. After a while she came to this:

"Thou are mated with a clown,
And the grossness of his nature, will have weight to bear thee
down."

Laddie threw back his head, and how he laughed! The Princess put down
the book and looked at him so surprised.

"Are you reading that to me because you think it appropriate?" asked
Laddie.

"I am reading it because it is conceded to be one of the most beautiful
poems ever written," said the Princess.

"You knew when you began that you would come to those lines."

"I never even thought of such a thing."

"But you knew that is how your father would regard any relationship,
friendly or deeper, with me!"

"I cannot possibly be held responsible for what my father thinks."

"It is natural that you should think alike."

"Not necessarily! You told me recently that you didn't agree with your
father on many subjects."

"Kindly answer me this," said Laddie: "Do you feel that I'm a 'clown'
because I'm not schooled to the point on all questions of good manners?
Do you find me gross because I plow and sow?"

"You surprise me," said the Princess. "My consenting to know and to
spend a friendly hour with you here is sufficient answer. I have not
found the slightest fault with your manners. I have seen no suspicion
of 'grossness' about you."

"Will you tell me, frankly, exactly what you do think of me?"

"Surely! I think you are a clean, decent man, who occasionally kindly
consents to put a touch of human interest into an hour, for a very
lonely girl. What has happened, Laddie? This is not like you."

Laddie sat straight and studied the beech branches. Father said beech
trees didn't amount to much; but I first learned all about them from
that one, and what it taught me made me almost worship them always.
There were the big trunk with great rough spreading roots, the bark in
little ridges in places, smooth purple gray between, big lichens for
ornament, the low flat branches, the waxy, wavy-edged leaves, with
clear veins, and the delicious nuts in their little brown burrs. The
Princess and I both stared at the branches and w