I expected a tirade at my rudeness; but instead I heard the frou-frou of her dress as she crossed the room toward me.
I increased my affected gestures and muttered exclamations, and had a mind to let fly an oath, just a little one, to shock her, when she put her face so close to mine that I could feel its warmth, and she whispered right into my ear:--
"Bad acting. Too self-conscious, Alexis!"
The Princess had won easily. I surrendered without an effort; gave up all thought of the search and was suddenly filled with a glad content to stop. For the voice was Olga"s, and the merry laugh was hers, and the blush was hers, and the love light was hers too; and the next moment I held her in my arms close pressed to my heart.
The Princess had indeed won anyhow, and in much less than three days; and I stopped for that wedding with all the delight in the world--in fact nothing could have induced me to miss it.
For the bride was Olga, and the bridegroom myself, once--"that devil Alexis!"
THE END.