absurd way on the top of a tree. Why shouldn't a young man go
as far as Germany after a beautiful Princess, who walks on the
ground, and who can talk and think and feel? She is much more
worth while than an orchid."

Miss Morris laughed indulgently. "Well, I didn't know such
devotion existed at this end of the century," she said; "it's
quite nice and encouraging. I hope you will succeed, I am
sure. I only wish we were going to be near enough to see how
you get on. I have never been a confidante when there was a
real Princess concerned," she said; "it makes it so much more
amusing. May one ask what your plans are?"

Carlton doubted if he had any plans as yet. "I have to reach
the ground first," he said, "and after that I must
reconnoitre. I may possibly adopt your idea, and ask to paint
her portrait, only I dislike confusing my social and
professional sides. As a matter of fact, though," he said,
after a pause, laughing guiltily, "I have done a little of
that already. I prepared her, as it were, for my coming. I
sent her studies of two pictures I made last winter in Berlin.
One of the Prime Minister, and one of Ludwig, the tragedian at
the Court Theatre. I sent them to her through my London
agent, so that she would think they had come from some one of
her English friends, and I told the dealer not to let any one
know who had forwarded them. My idea was that it might help
me, perhaps, if she knew something about me before I appeared
in person. It was a sort of letter of introduction written by
myself."