“It would be fine to have an army like you, Dirk; ready to follow wherever one leads!” laughed the prince. “My idea is something in the way of such a loyal army. You see lots of people never ask what they ought to do, but only what they want to do in this world. It leads to no end of mischief. Sometimes two people want to do exactly opposite things, two people, I mean, who stand in such relation to each other that whatever one does makes the other happy or wretched, blessed or ruined, according to which course the first one takes. No one is free in this world; we’re all tied and bound together by all sorts of fine lines and there is no greater nonsense talked than to say that any of us is free to go on as he pleases, regardless of others, or of the obligations of his position in society and toward his country. It’s my idea that happiness can come to each of us and to the world only when people stop to think, if there’s a question to decide, not what is pleasant, but what is right; not what they _want_, but what they _ought_ to do. So I should like to found a little order over here in the United States of five members, Natalie, Alys, Dirk, Beth and myself, to be called the Order of the Strong Hearted. The members pledge themselves to aim to do their duty every time, regardless of whether it is hard or easy, and not to talk about it, nor make a fuss, but to do it, as becomes the strong of heart. And here is our insignia, if you approve it.” [Illustration: THE PRINCE SLIPPED A RING UPON EACH HAND.] The prince, looking flushed by his own earnestness and embarrassed in setting forth what, after all, was a high ideal, told in simple words, produced from his pocket four small boxes. Opening them he displayed four rings, curiously wrought, of a beautiful design, each one set with a dark oriental sapphire, cut oblong. “Oh!” gasped the four children, too delighted and impressed to say more. “I had the rings made,” explained the prince. “The sapphire represents the true blue of loyalty and love. The carving--see the design? Links, twisted and intertwisted to signify that no one stands alone. The rings are suited now to your fourth fingers, I’m sure, so, as your hands grow, they will come to be right for the smallest finger, where they will really look best. Will you let me confer upon you the Order of the Strong Hearted and invest you with its insignia?” “Yes,” said Natalie and Beth together. One by one they came in turn to the prince and he slipped a ring upon each hand, saying: “I invest you with the Order of the Strong Hearted. When the hour comes for choice, you are to choose the right, your life long, doing your duty bravely, as becomes the Strong of Heart.” It was almost a solemn little ceremony. It was a royal right to found an order and to invest its members with its insignia. Beth felt uplifted, awed, but profoundly happy. This was not making believe, yet it held all the charm of the best making believe, combined with reality.