Oxford Democrat., 1908-05-05
IcoNTINUED.l

1
| To be sure. beginning the conver
sation she had thought Of nothing more
than a momentary qualification. but
the very heat of the argument int
which she had thrown herself had
warmed her malice and sharpened the
weapon Of her wit. She could justify
her expressed opinion only by events
and it occurred to her that she might
be able to shape events in such way
that she could say with eyes If not in
words, 81 told you So"
Her fading smile frightened. "Deal
chancellor, you do well to have faith
in your imperial pupil" said she
you've helped to make him what he
is, and you're ready to keep him what
he should he. suppose even that IT,
being but young man and having the
hot blood Of his race, he should stray
into a primrose path you would take
advantage of old friendship to-er-
put up signposts and barriers?'
"Were there the slightest chance of
such necessity arising" grumbled the
chancellor, struggling his shoulders.
"It's like your integrity and courage
What comfort. then, that the neces-
sity is so unlikely to arise"
The old man looked at her with level
gaze, the ruthless look that brushes
away a woman's paint and powder and
| .nI,aI, oo,nt, tho ,,riptloc undornaath
81 must have misunderstood you, then,
4 moment ago." he said. ~ thought
your argument was all the other way
round, madam"
IL told you l was amusing myself.
What can one do at ball when one
has reached the age when 1t would be
foolish TO dance? Why, l believe that
Lady Mowbray and her daughter are
not remaining long In Kronburg."
At last she was able to judge that
she had given the chancellor few un-
easy moments, for his eyes frightened
visibly with relief. "Ah," he returned.
'.then they are going out of RhaetiaT'
Not exactly that" said the baroness
slowly, pleasantly and distinctly. Il
hear that they've been asked to the
country to visit one Of his majesty's
oldest friends
Leopold was not supposed to care for
dancing. though he danced-as 1t was
his pride TO do all things-well. Ger
t..inlr there was often perfunctori-
ness about his manner in a ballroom,
SUGGESTION Of the soldier on duty in
his I.nSmiiiag face and his readiness
Z. lead Il partner to her seat when
dance was over.
Rut tonight new Leopold moved to
the music. A girls white arm on his
that slender arm which had been
quick and firm as mans in his de'
fenSc-the perfume of Il girls hair
and the gold glints upon it, the shadow
of n girls dark lashes and the light In
pair of gray eyes when they were
lifted. the beating Of girls heart near
him. the springtime grace Of a girls
sweet youth in its contrast with the
voluptuous summer Of Rhaetian types
of beauty. the warm rose that spread
upward from a girls childlike dlmples
TO the womanly arch Of her brows-all
these charms and more which rendered
one girl hundred times adorable took
hold of him and made him not an EN-
peror. hut man. unarmored.
When the music ceased he fancied
for an instant that some accident had
befallen the musicians. Then when he
realized that the end Of the dance had
come in it's due time he remembered
with pleasure a rule of his court estab-
lishcd in the days of those who had
been before him. After each dance an
interval of ten minutes was allowed
before the beginning of another. Ten
minutes are not much to man who
has things to say which could hardly
he sail in ten hours. Still, they are
something. and to waste even one
woGd lie like spilling drop Of pre-
cious elixir from tiny bottle contain
ing but nine other drops.
They had scarcely spoken yet. ex-
cept for commonplaccs which any one
micht have overheard. since the day
on the mountain. and in this first mo-
Eient of the ten each was wondering
whether or no that day should be ig-
nored between them. Leopold did not
feel that 1t should he spoken of. for 1t
was possible that the girl did not recog-
niZe the chamOis hunter In the emper-
or, and Virginia did not feel that she
could speak Of 1t. But, then, few
things turn out as people feel they
should.
Next to the throne room was the
ballroom, and beyond was another
known as the waldsaal, which Leo
pold had fitted up for the qualification
of a fancy. 1t was named the wald-
saal because 1t represented a wood.
Walls and ceiling were masked with
thick growing creepers trained over In
visible wires, through which peeped
stars Of electric light, like the check
erings of sunshine between netted
branches. Trees grew up, with their
roots In boxes hidden beneath the
moss covered floor. There were grot-
toes of Ivy draped rock in the corners.
and here and there, out from leafy
shadows. glittered the glass eyes OF
birds and animals-eagles, stays, cham
ois, wolves and bears-which the EN-.
| peror had shot.
This strange room, SO vast as to seem
empty when dozens Of people wan
dered beneath its trees and among Its
rock grottoes, was thrown open to
guests whenever a ball was given at
the palace, but the Conservatives and
palm houses were more popular, and
when Leopold brought Miss Mowbray
| to the waldsaal after their dance II
was in the hope that they might not
be disturbed.
She was lovelier than ever In her
| white dress under the trees, looking
up at him with wonderful look In
| her eyes, and the young mans calm
ness was mastered by the beating OF
his blood.
'This Is a kind of Madness" he said
to himself. "It will pass. 1t must
pass" And aloud. meaning all the
while to say something different and
commonplace, the real words In bis
mind broke through the crust Of con
ventionality, 'Why did you do it?
virginia's eyes widened. 81 don't
understand" Then, In an instant. she
found that she did understand. She
knew, too, that the question had asked