I nodded.

“But I thought yours an old American family.  Didn’t you tell me, one day at Mount Vernon, that a Dalberg fought with Washington?”

It was my turn to be surprised.  I had long forgotten both the circumstance and the remark.  “And I told you truly enough,” I answered.

She frowned a bit; then shook her head.  “I cannot understand,” she said.

Doubtless I was foolish—­Courtney would have called it something stronger—­but, nevertheless, I told her the story of Hugo.  For the benefit of the scoffer let me say that the Lady Helen could be very fetching when she was so minded, and this was our first meeting in four years.

“How romantic!” she exclaimed, when I had finished my tale.  “Father will be so interested.”

I almost tumbled out of the chair.  “Lord Radnor will not have the opportunity to be interested,” I said sharply.  “You may not tell him, nor anyone.”

“Certainly not, if you wish it,” she said instantly.

I thought she could be trusted; but it would do no harm to give her a bit of warning as to the situation.

“None but the King, the Princess and Courtney knows of this relationship,” I said.

She regarded me with an amused smile.  “Which means, if it become known, I alone could be the tattler.”

There was no need to press the point further.

“It is His Majesty’s secret as well as mine,” I said, as if in explanation.

She shrugged her pretty shoulders.  “I shall keep it because it’s—­yours,” she answered.

There was no doubt Lady Helen could be fetching when she was so minded.

I took her hand and kissed it.  Then I glanced around for onlookers.

Lady Helen laughed softly.  “You men always do that,” she said.

“Oh!” said I.

“You look only after it’s all over.”

“Oh!” said I, again.

“At least, so I have observed,” she admitted, frankly.

“You mean such has been your experience?”

“Well,” said she, with a mischievous gleam in her grey eyes, “wasn’t it so just now?”

I got up and looked carefully around.  No one was very near and we were in the shadow.  I leaned over and quickly kissed her on the cheek.

“It wasn’t so that time,” I said.

She sat perfectly quiet for a bit.

“Let us hope,” she said, at length; “let us hope that your eyes were trustworthy.  Otherwise——­”

“Yes?” I questioned.

“Otherwise our engagement must be announced or——­”

“Yes?”

“You must give me the chance to cut you publicly, after which you must leave Dornlitz.”

Here was a mess, sure enough.  Yet, I was in for it—­as most fools usually are.

“Which shall it be?” I said gayly.

She leaned close and looked me in the eyes.  And beside her winsome face I saw, in my mind’s eye, the Princess’s, too—­but only for an instant.  Then I took her hand again.  She smiled sweetly, almost as sweetly as Dehra herself could do.