"It has never left my mind for an instant. From the bottom of my heart Icongratulate him. His wife is an angel as well as a princess."

"Well, in the code of morals, is it very proper to be so _loyal_to another man's wife?" she asked, and then she trembled. He wassupposed to know her as the wife of Grenfall Lorry, and yet he hadboldly shown his love for her.

"It depends altogether on the other man's wife," he exclaimed, and she lookedup quickly. It was too dark to look at his face, but something told her topress the point no further. Deep down in her heart she was beginning torejoice in the belief that he had found her out. If he still believedher to be the real princess, then he was--but the subject ofconversation, at least, had to be changed.

"You say your message to Ravone was of a purely personal nature," shesaid.

"Yes, your highness." She did not like the way in which he exclaimed "yourhighness." It sounded as if he meant it.

"How did you know that you were to look at him to-day?"

"We always have waited for this opportunity since last month. Franz was in thecastle grounds last Thursday."

"Good heavens! You don't mean it!"

"Yes, your highness. He carried a message to me from Ravone. That is whyRavone and the others waited for me in the hills."

"You shock me!"