“Perhaps you can help us, Miss Waverley?” said the Queen, with a smile. “We should like to find a table a little more private than this one.” “I can show you the very place, Ma’am,” replied Miss Waverley breathlessly. “There is a little nook here where your Majesty can see all that goes on without being seen, if your--if the gentleman will just help me to move this table.” “Which of us is anxious to see all that is to be seen?” asked the Queen, as Miss Waverley hurried away to order the tea. “I think it must be you, Helene. Sit here, dear, where you can watch the people. Do put those parcels on the floor, Usk, and sit down.” “I’m trying to decide whether Miss Waverley takes me for your equerry or your footman,” said Usk. “In either case she will be very much scandalised if she catches me sitting down. I think I had better receive the things from her and present them. Does your Majesty wish to be served on the knee?” “I wish you to sit down in the place that is left for you, and to amuse the Princess Helene while her mother and I have a talk.” “Ma’am, I obey,” and Usk took the seat pointed out to him. “How will your Grand-Ducal Highness please to be amused?” he asked of Helene. “Why are you talking in this way? It is not at all like you,” she said wearily, and he noticed that the pale little face looked thinner, and that the eyes were heavy. “Why should you make this pretence?” “Because the world is full of pretence, and we can’t get away from it,” he answered, bitterly enough. Her eyes sought his face in a moment. “Oh, I am sorry,” she said quickly. “I ought to have known that there was something wrong. I see it in your eyes.” “I had rather not talk about it, if you don’t mind. But I might say the same thing to you. Something has gone wrong, hasn’t it?” “Ivan Petrovitch has found out that I call him the Tartar, and papa is so angry. He made me apologise to him.” “And how did he take it?” “Oh, as one would expect. He only said smoothly, ‘I hope the Princess Helene will think better of me when she has more opportunity of judging,’ but his voice made me shiver. What did he mean?” “Well, you know,” said Usk, as her eyes met his again with that look of horror in them, “I told you----” “Don’t say you told me it was a foolish thing to do. I know it, but I am quite unhappy enough without that.” She sat looking out between the draperies which shaded their corner, but her eyes seemed to see nothing of the gay room and the busy people. Then she turned suddenly to Usk again. “I am very rude and absent of mind,” she said. “You must forgive me, please. I wanted to tell you that I saw your beautiful lady yesterday.” “Miss Steinherz?” growled Usk. “Who else could it be? She is very, very beautiful, and her beauty is uncommon--original--how shall I say it?--witchlike?--oh no, that has a bad meaning in English, has it not? Spirit-like? ah, that is it. She is an Undine--before she had found her soul, of course.”