Her face was toward the east, looking above an orange sun that still clung to the horizon. Instinctively I felt that she was thinking of Azuria, that the pictures of it which I had drawn were recrossing before her dreamy vision, forming a panorama of splendor that called more surely than in March the Canadian flats call the Southern water bird. This gave her eyes, her uplifted face, her slightly parted lips, a new glory, and I involuntarily exclaimed: "Doloria of the Golden Dawn!" She knew then that I was there and, without turning, reached back one hand to me. Impulsively I took it, raised it to my lips, but afraid to hold it longer I stepped aside as if awaiting her commands. When I had done that she looked over her shoulder, gave a little sigh, and said sweetly: "Chancellor, I wish you'd convince me that our people are safe, and then help me settle a grave question of state!" "I think they'll be coming to-day, and----" "Oh, I hope so!" she clasped her hands. "As for the state question," I continued, "I'll settle it quickly, if you'll let me." "No, I'm afraid you can't! No, Chancellor," she gave a little laugh, "you can't be trusted to settle that, at all!" Then firmly, almost severely, putting back into its place a wave of hair that had been coquetting with the breeze, she asked: "Is the fire ready?" "Ready to light," I answered. "I came to find you." "Then let's go, for it isn't good to ponder over questions of state before breakfast." "What is it?" I asked, as we turned back. "Why won't you trust me to settle it?" Another laugh, more full of pathos, was my answer; nor would she speak again--because of some mischief in her mind, I believed--until, preparing the ambrosial corncakes, she rather abruptly exclaimed: "I wonder if you deserve any breakfast this morning?" "Why?" I cried, in feigned alarm. "Because of your impoliteness." "My impoliteness was doubtless the need of breakfast. But when was I impolite? I don't remember, honest!" "Of course, you don't; how could you," she went on rather indifferently. "Were you not such a capable Chancellor I might be more offended. I am tryingly stupid at times, but to be in the very middle of a sentence and discover that the man I'm talking to is fast asleep, is humiliating, to say the least." Did she think there was a chance of putting over that atrocious yarn on me--of bluffing me into an admission that I had been the first to fall asleep? "You may be right," I said, with the utmost gravity, "but I did it only in justice to you. You were talking, true enough, but in _your_ sleep; saying things that--well, no gentleman could have remained awake, in the circumstances." "I didn't," she cried, darting me a look of uncertainty. "Echochee says I never do!" "Echochee wasn't here last night," I casually replied, poking the coals of her fire closer. "I hope you understand that I didn't listen intentionally; for, of course, you'd never have told me all those things----"