"Sir," said the lady, after an embarrassing silence upon his part, "I
scarcely know if I ought to be here."

"Nor I either, my dear lady," began the gallant.

But then, aware that this was not exactly what might have been expected
of him, he stammered and broke down.

"Poor prince," thought the lady, with a very unladylike chuckle to
herself. "How embarrassed he is."

The cavalier stared at her through the great eyes in his mask, as he
muttered to himself--

"She is evidently in love with me very badly; I am curious to learn how
a princess makes love. I am anxious only of course to study it as a
matter of curiosity."

"I ought not to have come here, prince," said the lady, in a nervous
tone.

Prince!

The word made the masked gentleman stare.

"Prince! I suppose that she can't know I am a married man, and goes
straight to the question. This is popping the question sharply."

He had never been made love to before by a lady of any degree, much