" He whispered these last words, and Mae turned her head half
uneasily. She looked up at the balcony. How odd it was that there, but
a few feet away, were Mrs. Jerrold, Edith, and Albert. She fancied
she could detect their voices, though she could not see them. The
Hopkins-Rae window was vacated. "The girls" were probably down on the
Corso with Eric and Norman, and Mae drew a little nearer to Bero, and
looked up half appealingly. His eyes were fixed strangely on something
or some one across the street. Mae followed their gaze, and saw upon the
opposite balcony the beautiful veiled lady. She held in her hand a long
rod tipped with a blazing taper.
"O, she is like a vestal virgin with her light, or a queen with a
sceptre," cried Mae exultingly.
"She may be the vestal virgin, but the queen is by my side," said Bero
earnestly.
Mae wished he would not talk in this way, and she tried to laugh it off.
"I have no sceptre or crown; I'm but a poor queen in my common garb."
"We'll have the coronation day after to-morrow," replied Bero, very
earnestly still.
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