if so auspicious
an event were not celebrated in a befitting manner."

"Oh," said the Queen. "Then it will be full dress, I suppose--with
crowns?"

"I hope--not _crowns_," put in King Sidney, who had taken the earliest
opportunity of leaving his own in a corner. "A crown is such an
uncomfortable thing to eat in. At least mine is."

The Court Chamberlain gave it as his decision that crowns should
certainly be worn--at least through the earlier courses of the meal.

"All you've got to do, Guv'nor," said Clarence, "is to keep yours from
splashing into the soup. A bit of elastic round your chin would do that
all right."

"And I presume," said the Queen, "we shall wear these robes we have
on?... Oh, we shall find a change of costume upstairs? Then, as there is
not too much time for dressing, I should like to see my room at once,
Mrs. Fogleplug."

"Sidney," she panted a little later as, escorted by the Marshal and
Baron, and followed by the Court Godmother and the ladies and
lords-in-waiting, they were making the ascent of the grand staircase,
"one of the _first_ things we must do here is to put in a lift. I really
can't be expected to climb all these stairs several times a day!"

"They do take it out of one, my dear," he admitted. "And a lift would
certainly be a great improvement."

At the head of the staircase was a long tapestry-hung gallery in which
were the doors opening into the suites of rooms prepared for Royalty.

Queen Selina, on reaching hers, could not bring herself to allow her
ladies of the Bedchamber to assist at her toilet. "So _very_ kind of
you, Princess, and you, too, my dear Baroness," she protested, "but I
couldn't _think_ of troubling you--I couldn't indeed! I should feel
quite ashamed to let you! I can manage perfectly well by myself--that
is, Miss Heritage will come in after she has attended to Princess Ruby,
and do all I require, and then she can go on and help _you_, Edna."

"Thank you, Mother," said Edna, "but I should prefer having some one who
is more accustomed to dressing hair."

After putting Ruby into a robe of golden tissue and silken stockings and
satin shoes, which, being quite as splendid as those she had just laid
aside, afforded the child intense satisfaction, Daphne went to Queen
Selina's Tiring Chamber--a spacious apartment with hangings of strange
colours embroidered with Royal emblems. It was separated by a curtained
arch, through which a glimpse could be caught of the