CHAPTER VI.
More than a week went by, and it seemed quite natural now to Lord Fordyce to shape his days according to the plans of the American party, and when they met at the Schlossbrunn in the morning at half-past seven, and he and Mr.Cloudwater and the Princess had drunk their tumblers of water together, their custom was to go on down to the town and there find Sabine, who had bought their slices of ham and their rolls, and awaited them at the end of the Alte Weise with the pink paper bags, and then the four proceeded to walk to the Kaiser Park to breakfast.
This meal was so merry, Mrs.Howard tantalizing the others by having cream in her coffee and sugar upon her wild strawberries, while they were only permitted to take theirs plain.
During the stroll there it was Sabine's custom persistently to adhere to the side of Mr.Cloudwater, leaving the other two tete-a-tete--and, delightful as Lord Fordyce found the Princess, this irritated him.

He discovered himself, as the days advanced, to be experiencing a distinct longing to know what was passing in that little head, whose violet eyes looked out with so much mystery and shadow in their depths.

He could not tell himself that she avoided him; she was always friendly and casual and perfectly at her ease, but no extra look of pleasure or welcome for him personally ever came into her face, and never once had he been able to speak to her really alone.

Mr.Cloudwater and the two ladies drove back from breakfast each day, and he was left to take his exercises and his bath.

Now and then he had encountered the Princess in the near woods just before luncheon, returning from the Kaiserbad, but Mrs.Howard never--and when he inquired how she spent her time, she replied however she happened to fancy, which gave him no clue as to where he might find her--and with all her frank charm, she was not a person to whom it was easy to put a direct question.