King; had provided for his beguiling every costly diversion that could
be thought of. But they had not been able to give him anything new,
and they felt that he was enduring the visit amiably rather than
actually enjoying it. It remained, apparently, for the Girl from
Nowhere to give him real pleasure.

So the Duchess--secretly sympathetic--left orders with her French maid
that Mary Alice was to be made ready to see the King.

Mary Alice chose the simplest thing that rigorous French maid would
allow and kept as close as possible to her own individual and
unpretending style. But even then, she was a pretty resplendent young
person as she stole timidly down to find the Duchess and be presented
to the King.

The guests were assembled in the great drawing-room, and Mary Alice was
frightened almost to death when she saw the splendour of the scene and
realized what part she had to play in it.

Then, in a daze, she was swept forward and presented, and found herself
looking into eyes that smiled as with an old friendliness. So she
smiled back again, and soon forgot the onlookers, answering His
Majesty's kindly questions.

[Illustration: ". . . found herself looking into eyes that smiled as
with an old friendliness."]

He turned from her, presently, to speak to some one else, and Mary
Alice caught sight then of a face she knew. For an instant, she stood
staring. For an instant, he stood staring back, as unbelieving as she.