Graustark stooped to marriage with a commoner.

And so when the far-sighted ministry and House of Nobles in Graustark
set about to select a wife for their young ruler, they made overtures
to the Prince of Dawsbergen whose domain adjoined Graustark on the
south. The Crown Princess of Dawsbergen, then but fifteen, was the
unanimous choice of the amiable match-makers in secret conclave. This
was when Robin was seventeen and just over being fatuously in love
with his middle-aged instructress in French.

The Prince of Dawsbergen despatched an embassy of noblemen to assure
his neighbour that the match would be highly acceptable to him and
that in proper season the betrothal might be announced. But alack!
both courts overlooked the fact that there was independent American
blood in the two young people. Neither the Prince of Graustark nor
the Crown Princess of Dawsbergen,--whose mother was a Miss Beverly
Calhoun of Virginia,--was disposed to listen to the voice of
expediency; in fact, at a safe distance of three or four hundred
miles, the youngsters figuratively turned up their noses at each
other and frankly confessed that they hated each other and wouldn't
be bullied into getting married, no matter what _anybody_ said, or
something of the sort.

"S'pose I'm going to say I'll marry a girl I've never seen?" demanded
seventeen-year-old Robin, full of wrath. "Not I, my lords. I'm going
to look about a bit, if you don't mind. The world is full of girls.
I'll marry the one I happen to want or I'll not marry at all."

"But, highness," they protested, "you must listen to reason. There
must be a successor to the throne of Graustark. You would not have