"Naturally we do not expect you to be married before you are out of
short frocks, my dear," said Prince Dantan stiffly. "But a betrothal
is quite another thing. It is customary to arrange these marriages
years before--"

"Is Prince Robin in love with me?"

"I--ahem!--that's a very silly question. He hasn't seen you since you
were a baby. But he _will_ be in love with you, never fear."

"He may be in love with some one else, for all we know, so where do I
come in?"

"Come in?" gasped her father.

"She's part American, dear," explained the mother, with her prettiest
smile.

"Besides," said the Crown Princess, with finality, "I'm not even
going to be engaged to a man I've never seen. And if you insist, I'll
run away as sure as anything."

And so the matter rested. Five years have passed since the initial
overtures were made by the two courts, and although several sly
attempts were made to bring the young people to a proper
understanding of their case, they aroused nothing more than scornful
laughter on the part of the belligerents, as the venerable Baron
Dangloss was wont to call them, not without pride in his sharp old
voice.