"So that is settled," the involuntary eavesdroppers heard him say. "God bless you for those words, Margaret. I always knew that this would come. And if the passing of the years does not bring——"
There was no more to be heard. Jessie stepped forward and smiled as the queen beckoned her.
"You look very happy, my child," she said. "And Captain Hope! Are you very happy, Jessie?"
"I believe I am the happiest girl in the world," she said in a voice that thrilled. "Oh, so happy, your majesty. I only wish with my heart that you would be the same."
"Do you?" the queen said drily. "It is a secret yet, but—but I am going to ... try."
Transcriber's Note:
Spelling and punctuation inaccuracies were silently corrected.
Archaic and variable spelling has been preserved.