Then he kissed the outstretched lit
tle fingers with great dignity and laid
a small package in one palm and a
handful of bonbons in the other. And
then he wished Her Highness a very
merry Christmas and again added his
courteous felicitations for all the royal
relatives.
Ker Highness cooed delightedly, and
oh-ed and ah-ed very softly, and when
she had feasted her eyes on the tiny
golden pin and had read several times
the inscription: "To Her Highness,
from her devoted subject," she re
laxed her royal gravity and threw two
soft little arms around his neck and
kissed him.
"Oh thank you very much, sir
knight!" she lisped, "and thank you,
too, for your good wishes."
Stroked H«r Golden Hair.
Then she sat herself on his knees
and looked unendingly at the dainty
box and its golden pin and nibbled
her bonbons in great content.
"Um—" said he, presently. "Isn't
her majesty at court to-day?"
"No," Her Highness answered, po
litely. "She—she went out for a
drive in the park. Everybody rides
there in the afternoon, don't they?
And—she's going to dinner at aunt
ie's."
"Indeed," breathed the knight, stand
ing very rigidly. After a time he sat
down again. The silence lengthened
until it became oppressive to the
child. She observed that the bonbons
were all gone, but he seemed lost in
a reverie, so Her Highness begged
his pardon, and told him again that
they were "all gone."
Ho fumbled in his pocket, and ab
sently handed her another tribute, and
apologized, and then he gulped and
told her highness that she mustn't l'or
-?t him when he was many miles
across the ocean.
