The reason was that the two women, while
obviously belonging to periods of some twenty years apart as the
fashion of their dress proved, were in face and form so singularly
alike that they bewilderingly suggested that they were the same
person. Both were exquisitely nymphlike, fair and large eyed and
both had the fine light hair which is capable of forming itself
into a halo. The Duchess stood and looked at them for the moment
spell-bound. She slightly caught her breath. She was borne back so
swiftly and so far. Her errand in the next door shop was forgotten.
She went into the one which displayed the photographs.
"I wish to look at the two photographs which are so much alike,"
she said to the man behind the counter.
He knew her as most people did and brought forth the photographs
at once.
"Many people are interested in them, your grace," he said. "It was
the amazing likeness which made me put them beside each other."
"Yes," she answered. "It is almost incredible." She looked up
from the beautiful young being dressed in the mode of twenty years
past.
"This is--WAS--?" she corrected herself and paused. The man
replied in a somewhat dropped voice. He evidently had his reasons
for feeling it discreet to do so.
"Yes--WAS. She died twenty years ago. The young Princess Alixe of
X--" he said. "There was a sad story, your grace no doubt remembers.
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