"Now, you know something of my sensations when I first met him," said
Frederick, "though, then, I had not the benefit of the Huzzar attire."
"And you, Princess?" asked Lady Helen.
The King laughed aloud; Courtney became absorbed in the picture; I
tugged at my sword-knot--we all were thinking of the kiss before the
Ball. But Dehra, naturally, thought of the meeting in the forest six
years before.
"It was a long time ago, but I think I did notice the resemblance in a
casual way," she said.
The King stared at her in surprise; Courtney smiled slightly and
glanced at me, and Lady Helen's eyes shot from Dehra to me and back
again in a vain attempt to understand. Frederick, however, was on the
point of asking an explanation when the Princess gave him a glance, and
he instantly dropped the matter and motioned us to our seats.
Mine was on Dehra's right; Courtney's on her left. Presently, I heard
the King say to Lady Helen:
"Come, confess you are curious how the American military attache
becomes a Valerian Archduke?"
And, through Dehra's talk, I detected the laughing answer, pitched high
enough to reach me:
"'Curious' is quite too mild a word, Sire."
Then, as the King began the story, she glanced over at me and I nodded
my thanks.
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