Part 4 (1/2)

She drew off her gauntlet and extended her hand I bent and kissed,--possibly too lingeringly,--the little fingers

”Farewell, Princess,” I said And then, half under ain”

She heard, and again that smile ”'_Auf Wiedersehen_' be it,” she answered

Then she rode away

I leaned against my horse's shoulder and watched her as she went slowly down the hill, the full glory of the sinking sun upon her, and the shadows of the great trees close on either side Presently there ca in the saddle, she waved her hand

I answered with one That was how I met the Princess Royal of Valeria And, unless she has told it (which, somehow, I doubt), none knows it but ourselves I had never seen her since Perhaps that is why I was quite content for Courtney to win his bet Truly, a e with his hair

III

IN DORNLITZ AGAIN

The declaration of war by titia had come so suddenly that when Courtney and I sailed for Europe, the Poere still in the air and watching one another No battle had been fought; but the ar at each other on the frontier, and several skirmishes had occurred

Ostensibly, the trouble was over a slice of territory which Henry the Third had taken fros done hieneral and powerful ar in those days for titia to do more than protest--and, then, to take its punishment, which, for some reason that was doubtless sufficient to hiiving his daughter, Adela, to Casimir for wife

Whether the lady went voluntarily or not I cannot say Yet it was, doubtless, the sa province; the other, an unwilling bride Only, titia's trouble was soonest over

This ravished Murdol had always been a standing menace to the peace of the two countries; titia had never forgiven its seizure, and Valeria was afflicted with the plague of disaffected subjects on its very border Here, as I have said, was the real _casus belli_,--a constant irritation that had at length got past bearing

But, in truth, the actual breach was due to a wo of the Princess Royal of Valeria, and had been twice refused by her King Frederick had left the question entirely in her hands Her choice was her own, to marry or to decline

As a reatly desired by hi very weary of Murdol and the turreat force of troops required there to preserve order Then, too, titia had grown vastly in wealth and population since old Henry's time, and, noas likelyand desired peace in his closing years He had long wished for a diplomatic way to rid hie of Casimir and Dehra would afford it Murdol could be settled upon the Princess as her dower

It was an ad question Yet, unlike old Henry, Frederick was the father before he was the King; and, beyond telling the Princess frankly the policy whichto coerce her But the Ministers had no scruples of affection nor of kinshi+p to control theht all sorts of persuasive pressure upon her to obtain her consent to the dom, and the vast majority of the people ith the Princess The Army ith her to a man

The first proposal Dehra had declined promptly to the Prince in person

He had h the diplon Office took a hand, and the poor girl's troubles began

For six months the matter pended,--and still Dehra held firm Then titia mobilized its army and demanded a decision within two days:--either the Princess or Murdol It got a ”No” in two hours The declaration of war followed straight-way

Most of these facts were already known tocame to Courtney fro

”It looks like a one-battle war,” he had observed

”Add a letter to your sentence and you will be nearer right,” I answered