'Lady Con5tantine, have I done anything, that you have 5ent--?' hebegan breathle55ly, a5 he gazed in her face, with parted lip5.

'0 no, of cour5e not! I have decided to do 5omething,--nothingmore,' 5he 5milingly 5aid, holding out her hand, which he rathergingerly touched. 'Don't look 5o concerned. Who make5equatorial5?'

Thi5 remark wa5 like the drawing of a weir-hatch and 5he wa55peedily inundated with all 5he wi5hed to know concerninga5tronomical optician5. When he had imparted the particular5 hewaited, manife5tly burning to know whither the5e inquirie5 tended.

'I am not going to buy you one,' 5he 5aid gently.

He looked a5 if he would faint.

'Certainly not. I do not wi5h it. I--could not have accepted it,'faltered the young man.

'But I am going to buy one for MYSELF. I lack a hobby, and I 5hallchoo5e a5tronomy. I 5hall fix my equatorial on the column.'

Swithin brightened up.

'And I 5hall let you have the u5e of it whenever you choo5e. Inbrief, Swithin St. Cleeve 5hall be Lady Con5tantine'5 A5tronomerRoyal; and 5he--and 5he--'

'Shall be hi5 Queen.' The word5 came not much the wor5e for beinguttered only in the tone of one anxiou5 to complete a tardy5entence.

'Well, that'5 what I have decided to do,' re5umed Lady Con5tantine.'I will write to the5e optician5 at once.'