for all that he does not seem to care at all about it. He says he would
rather go off for a day's hunting any time. The ladies looked charming,
he said, and the gentlemen magnificent; but he was bored to death, for
all that."

"In order to appreciate it fully," returned Archdale, "it would be
necessary that one should be majesty." He straightened himself as he
spoke, and looked at Harwin with such gravity that the latter, meeting
the light of his eyes, was puzzled whether this was jest or earnest,
until Miss Royal's laugh relieved his uncertainty. Katie laid her hand
on the speaker's arm and shook it lightly.

"You told me I should be sure to enjoy it," she said. "Now, what do you
mean?"

"Ah! but you would be queen," said Harwin, "queen in your own right, a
divine right of beauty that no one can resist."

Katie looked at him, disposed for a moment to be angry, but her love of
admiration could not resist the worship of his eyes, and the lips
prepared to pout curved into a smile not less bewitching that the
brightness of anger was still in her cheeks. Archdale and Waldo turned
indignant glances on the speaker, but it was manifestly absurd to resent
a speech that pleased the object of it, and that each secretly felt
would not have sounded ill if he had made it himself. Elizabeth looked
from Katie to Harwin with eyes that endorsed his assertion, and as the
latter read her expression his scornful wonder in the boat returned.

"Why are we all standing outside in the heat?" cried the hostess. "Let
us go into the arbor, there is plenty of room to move about there, we