The Heart of Princess Osra

nce of the Mi

ing alighted at his house for a draught of beer as he rode hunting, and it was of him the King spoke when he said to the Queen, "There is, I believe, but one man in the country whom Osra could not

e any man. What but trouble come

and he added: "If you convert him to the love of wo

om my thoughts or desires as to conve

and for this reason, and none other at all, one day she ordered her horse and rode off with a single groom into the forest. Coming, as the morning went on, to a wide road, she asked the groom where it led. "To Hofbau, madame," he answered. "It is not more

to the mill, she saw the miller sitting before his door, smoking a lo

" Yet he did not rise, but lay there, lolling luxuriously in the sun. For he did not know Osra, never having been to Strelsau in his life, and to Zenda three or fou

the same time desiring the milk, the P

bright curious eyes, that flashed from under the brim of her wide-rimmed feat

a cup of milk, and drank it. Then, refill

ve some?" said s

miller; and he held out his hand, but

ler could reach it. He took and drained it, gave it back to her, and put his pipe in his mouth again

and drained

or dinner?" aske

id he. "There's enough fo

not like it

annot weary mysel

om the cask. Next she placed an arm-chair ready for the miller, and put the jug by it; then she filled the pipe from the bowl of tobacco and set a cushion in the chair. All this while she hummed a tune, and from time to time s

ome?" cr

two," said the Miller of H

for a moment surveying the room which was so neat, and the table s

ed." And he fell to on a great portion

is pipe from it; then she sat down by him. For several moments he puffed, and then at last he turned his head and looked at Princess Osra; she drooped her long lashes and cast dow

aming hot and yet not burnt, the beer was well frothed but not shaken

" said Princess O

ther?" pursu

lso is

the miller thoughtfully; and Osra tu

iving here all by yourself?

verything for myself,"

nobody to-to

comfort," said the mille

; but they are married no

and, setting his elbow on th

is it likely you will

a glance of malicious triumph in her eyes; she was t

do, come half an hour before dinner, and you can lend a han

to me," answered Osra.

t horse

ave it to ride when I d

ress do anything for you i

ent if--" said Osra, and she

s he rose slowly from the arm-chair. "Will you

y likely," answere

significantly at Osra, and, turning away, went to his work, as a man goes who would far rather si

enough, I thi

ift by himself," remarked the miller, and with t

n order, refilled the pipe, stood the jug handy by the cask, and, with a look of great

r; and in the week following that she came twice; and on the second of these two days, after dinner, the miller did not go off to hi

u're a han

, but nothing of my face,

miller in some surprise. "Wha

Osra, turning towards him that he migh

r some minutes, then a slo

nued: "If you come next week-why, it is but half a mile to church! I'll have the cart read

and her face was all alight

r. "We will be at the church an hour before noon, so that t

Thursday in next

minute he turned again, saying: "Give me a kiss, then, since we are to

ived under his outstretched arms and made her escape. The day being warm, the miller did not put himself out by p

self. "He is not like these Court gallants, who have learnt to make love as soon as they learn to walk, and cannot talk to a woman without bowing and grimacing and sighing at every word. The miller has a deep nature, and surely I have won his heart, or he would not take me for his wife. Poor miller! I pray that he may not grieve very bitterly when I make the truth

m of her success with the Miller of Hofbau he was greatly amused, and swore that no such girl ever lived, and applauded her, renewing his promise of

ou are going to excuse you

d crowns must do that o

rowns patch a

eal itself, as men's bro

m cure themselves. Let us hope it m

f women on him. It is unendurable that any

d the King, "in spite of his plaster of crowns. I shall love to s

ommands on high matters of State; and, although Rudolf was sorely put out of temper by this untoward interruption, yet he had no alternative but to transact the business before he rode to the miller's at Hofbau. So he sat fretting and fuming, while long papers were read to him, and the Princess walked up and down the length of the drawbridge, fretting also; for b

Osra. "I must give him another hundred crowns on account of it." And she a

oing himself any mischief in

pouted the Princess, who though

began it," said her brot

the side, and, creeping along to the house, hid himself behind a large water-butt, which stood just under the window; from that point he could hear what passed inside the house, and could see if he stood erect. But Osra rode up to the front of the mill, as she

o the door; for she feared what the miller might do in the passion of his disappointment at learning who she was and that she could not be his wife. "I hope the six hundred crowns will comfort him," she

aller table was in front of the fire; on it stood a very large jug, entirely empty, but bearing signs of having been full not so long ago; and on either side of it, each in an arm-chair, sat th

priest of the village and th

lost when I arrived. Indeed I am afraid the poor man loves me very much. Well, miller, or lord, or prince-they are all the same. Heigh-ho! Why did I deceive him?" And she walked up to the miller

from behind the water

e, Osra? Is

answered. "But the priest is here, ready to marry u

, after it is done," remarked

iest also was awakened. Osra came forward and stood between them. The miller looked at her, and tilted hi

Father. Sh

hands together, and

he, glancing at the clock. "

-and now that I am come, I cannot--" But here she paused in great distress an

p under his chair, and reg

and the priest was there, and my cousin Hans to act as my groom, and my cousin Ge

g laughed low to himself behind the water-butt, b

atching his head again, "I do not know what we are t

unity had come, took the purse of six hundred crow

miller, for the first tim

rowns out on the table, and counted them one by one, till he had told all the six hundred. Then he r

n such a hurry, friend mi

plaintively, "and you know that she

p the crowns and ret

ling, yet still very nervous, "and, indeed,

mean you," inter

she is a handy wench and very sturdy. I doubt if you could lift a sack by

ertrude," said the Princess petu

d the priest, folding his hands on his lap and smiling plac

ok after me better than you, being one of the family. And she said it was hard that she should have no husband, whil

d that he rose up from behind the water-butt, and, leaning his

, "all the same to me, so that I got wha

is cousin," s

ree turned round, but the King ducked his head and cro

at?" cried

" answered Osra hastily, and then

"was all you wanted! I

u are a handy--" A stamp of her foot drowned the r

de-is she pretty

e has only two hundred crowns." And he put the purs

Osra, snatching up her purse in grea

he doorway a short and very broad girl, with a very wide face and straggling hair; the girl's nose was very flat, and her eyes were small; but her gr

the miller, looking at her contente

with wide eyes in the doorway, the Princess swept

ok at my face! What

" said the miller.

floor and into every corner of the room. And Princess Osra cried: "Have you no eyes?" and then she turned away; for her lip was quivering, and she wou

your dowry? It is large! I am glad you did not come in time. But see, I'll p

knees and began to pick up the crowns, crawling after them all over the floor, and holdin

her husband," nodded t

t as one girl is pretty nearly as good as another-if she is handy and stur

rude, having picked up the crowns, c

l pour them in. They'll

nt and kissed Gertrude's

work for himself. And keep the six hundred crowns as a present fro

or her tone and manner were now different. Then she turned to the mille

g was just lifting Osra on to her horse; the miller knew the King, and stood there with eyes wide and cheeks bulged in wonder; but he could gasp out no more than "The King, the King!" before Rudolf and Osra were far away. And they could, none of them, neither the miller, nor Gertrude, nor the priest, tell what the matter m

ve married me, anyho

end," answered Ru

and all is well. Gert

although she had not persuaded him that it was of great moment whom a man married. Therefore he was very anxious to give her the bracelet which he had promised, and more than once prayed her to accept it. But Osra saw the laugh that lurke

Hofbau." And she blushed, and la

cut strips of ribbon, each a foot long and a couple of inches broad; on each of them she embroidered a motto or legend; and she affixed the ribbons bearing the legend to each and every one of the mirrors in each of her chambers at Strelsau, at Zenda, and at the other royal residences. And her waiting-women

egend was

the Miller