“Ah!” she said. “This is what you in England call the Wedding March; is it not so? Shall I startle them all by playing it in Michael’s honour? It seems quite certain that he is to marry Sonya Eugenova. Cousin Ottilie was calling on mamma to-day, and told us so much about them both.”
“No doubt the Princess of Dardania would know more about it than any one else,” said Usk drily, “but,” he added, unhappy recollections of his own coming to the surface again, “it would be a pity to congratulate the King too soon.”
“Then shall I play it for you?” she asked suddenly. “Cousin Ottilie told us you were betrothed to a beautiful American girl. I hope I shall see her. Michael knows her family, does he not? Mamma said he was a good deal at their villa.”
“No, please don’t,” said Usk hurriedly, laying his hand upon hers as she was about to begin. “As you have heard so much, I can explain things to you which I couldn’t to any one else. We are not exactly engaged—at least, you know, I would give anything to be, but she won’t have it. It’s—it’s just that she doesn’t like to be bound, you know. Of course she thinks I should try to monopolise her, and she would find it awfully dull.”
Helene’s face, as she sat at the piano, wore an expression of disapproval. “I don’t understand,” she said. “She has not refused you—no? And yet she will not bind herself? But this is not treating you honourably.”
“Oh, I don’t mind,” Usk assured her, with involuntary mendacity. “She’s—she’s an American, you know, and American girls like to be free above all things. I don’t want her to refuse me at all. I’m quite content to wait until she is willing——”
“To be betrothed? But why should she prefer freedom to becoming your bride?” Usk felt some astonishment, until he remembered that she was using the word in the German sense. “Surely she would receive far greater consideration, besides having the right to your escort everywhere, and all the respect you would naturally show her?”
“Oh, it’s not that.” Usk felt helpless to explain the points involved. “An American girl gets all the consideration she wants anyhow, and that’s all there is going, or she’ll know the reason why. And you see she would much rather have different men to take her about than me always.”
“I do not understand,” said Helene coldly, rising as she spoke. “It seems to me that you ought not to allow her to treat you with such insult. She cannot be a high-minded girl.”
“What next?” thought Usk in amazement, as he put out the piano-lights before following her. The party was breaking up by this time, and Helene bade him good-night with freezing coldness. He was at a loss to know how he had offended her, especially when he noticed that in saying farewell to his uncle she handed him, with a deep blush and a look of entreaty, a morocco-bound book. The Grand-Duchess laughed pleasantly.