The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1906-11-20
CHAPTER vi.

Pyrmont felt exceedingly awkward.
For n thing, the pressure of the
Princess hand upon his arm distract
ed him. He longed to have her on the
other side.
You are noble?" she queried, with
a look down at him.
"of counsel" said the secretary
The Princess thought that 1t was
not at all of course, but continued.
Il understand-you would learn
diplomacy under a man so wise as the
High Councillor Won D~essauer. I have
heard of such sacrifices"
An agreeable princess-I shall get
on well with herl" thought Johann
Pyrmont. Then the attention of his
companion tagged and she was silent
and distrait for a little, as they paced
through courts and ~colonnades which
to the secretary seemed interminable.
At intervals the Princess silently in
dicated the way by a pressure upon
his arm which was almost more than
friendly.
I'VE walk well together" she said
presently, rousing herself from her
reverie.
YES" answered the secretary, who
was thinking that it was a long way
to the summer parlor, where he was
to meet the Prince.
81 fear" said the Princess Margaret
quantity, that you are often in the
habit of walking with ladiesl Your
step agrees so well with mine!"
81 eve walk with any others!"
the secretary answered without
thought.
"What?" cried the Princess, quickly
taking her hand, "and you swore to me
eyen now that you never helped a
lady from her horse in your lifel"
1t was an impasse, and the secre-
tary, recalled to himself, blushed
deeply.
81 see so few ladies" he stammered
in a tremor lest he should have be-
trayed himself. g" live in the coun-
try-only my maid"
Heavens own sunshine!" cried
the Princess with a little scream of
laughter. Have the pretty young
men of ~Plassenburg maids and tire
women? Small wonder that so few of
them ever visit us! No wonder you
live on in that happy country"
The secretary recovered his pres
ence of mind rapidly.
81 mean," he explained, "the old
woman Bette, my nurse, who still,
though now I am grown up, comes
every night to see that I have all I
want and to fold my clothes. I have
no other women about me-"
you are sure that Bette, who
comes for your clothes and to see that
you have all you want, is old?" per-
sisted the Princess, keeping her yes
sharply upon her companion.
"She is so old that l never remem-
Der her to have been any younger"
replied the secretary, with an air OF
engaging candor.
81 believe you," cried the outspoken
Princess; mo one can lie with such
y Strange that l should have
liked you from the first. Stranger still
that in an hour I should tell you so.
Your arm!"
The secretary Immediately put his
hand within the arm of the Princess
Margaret, who turned upon him in
stantly in profoundest establishment.
as this also a P~lassenburg Gus
tom?" she said sharply. WAS it old
Bette who taught you thus to take a
lady's arm? 1t is otherwise thought
of in ignorant Courtland!"
The young nan blushed n looked
down.
81 am sorry" he said; ut is a com
mon fashion with us. l crave your
pardon If in aught have offended"
The Princess Margaret looked quiz
zically at her companion.
"' faith,' she said. II have ever
had a curiosity about foreign customs.
This one I find not amiss. Do it
again!"
The Courtlander otto, who had
been on guard at the gate, had mean
time been relieved, and 10y followed
the pair through the corridors to the
summer palace upon an errand which
he had invented.
At this point he stood astonished.
MOulu ludi AAAhNC w asp was
here. We should see his sting. He
is indeed a marvel, this fellow from
P~lassenburg. Glad am I that he does
not know little Lenchen up in the
Kaiser Platz. No one of us would
have a maid to his name if this game
ster abode in CORTLAND and made the
running in this stylei"
The Princess and her squire now
went out into the open air. For she
had led him by devious ways almost
round the entire square of the palace
buildings. They passed into a thick
avenue of acacias and yews, through
the arcades of which they walked ST
lently.
For the Princess was content. and
the secretary afraid of making any
more mistakes. So he let the 'for
eign custom" go at what it might be
worth, knowing that if he tried to bet.
ter it. ten to one a worse thing might
befall.
81 have changed my mind" said the
Princess, suddenly stopping and turn.