“Yes,” she answered. The blushes were gone, leaving her clear, soft cheeks paler than before. She moved towards the fence until, had he stretched forth his hand, he could have almost touched her gown. She was the same Kitty, he thought with something of wonder; a year had made no change in her that his eyes could discern. And yet—perhaps—she seemed graver, though not a whit less sweetly fair and gracious.
“A year makes little difference to a Princess,” he said smilingly.
“It leaves her a year older,” she answered.
“But perhaps, after all, it hasn’t been a year. Perhaps it was only yesterday that you left me here and went up the path and into the Castle; I could almost believe it.” She shook her head.
“Things have happened since then,” she replied with a little sigh. He echoed the sigh; did not he know it?
“Yes, I suppose so. You’ve travelled much and seen many things since that morning.”
“Yes.” She showed no surprise that he should know.
“And——” But he stopped. “The Ogre is well, I trust?”