Royal Bedchamber,
with the colossal and gorgeously canopied State bed.

She found the Queen still in an early stage of her toilette and in a
highly fractious state of mind.

"I expected you to be here before this, Miss Heritage," she said. "I've
been waiting all this time for you to fasten me up the back, which I
couldn't possibly ask any of my Court ladies to do.... I'm sure _I_
don't know what goes on next!... Oh, do you think the--er--stomacher
_before_ the ruff?... Very well.... It's impossible to judge the effect
in such a wretched light" (the chamber, it should be said, was
illuminated by a number of perfumed flambeaux stuck in elaborately
wrought silver sconces). "Even at 'Inglegarth' I had a pair of electric
lights over my dressing-table! And how on earth any Queen can be
expected to dress at a shabby tarnished old cheval-glass like this is
more than _I_ can conceive!"

Upon which a thin but silvery voice immediately responded:

"As dimly can I understand
How _you_ are Queen of Maerchenland!"

"Upon my word, Miss Heritage!" exclaimed Queen Selina, with an angry
flush on her oatmeal-hued cheeks, "I am surprised at such
impertinence--from _you_!"

"It--it wasn't me, Ma'am," said Daphne, with an heroic effort to keep
her countenance.

"As it was certainly not myself, and you are the only other person in
the room, Miss Heritage, your denial is impudent as well as useless!"

Daphne could only point speechlessly to the mirror.

"Really, Miss Heritage! This goes beyond all--what _next_!"

"Reflected here there should have been
A younger and far fairer Queen."

continued the voice in a doggerel as devoid of polish as the mirror
itself.

"It _does_ appear to come from--but whoever heard of a looking-glass
talking?" said the mystified Queen.

"Little Snow-white's Stepmother had a mirror that answered her, Ma'am,"
said Daphne, "and she was a queen in Maerchenland, I believe. Perhaps
this is the very one!"

It would, no doubt, have proceeded to make some even more unflattering
comments if Daphne had not, with much presence of mind, turned its face
to the wall. How she knew that this would silence it she could not have
said herself. But it certainly did.

"I have no reason for believing that any such person as Little
Snow-white ever existed," said Queen Selina; "but whoever that glass
belonged to, I will not have it here. I would have it smashed, if it
wasn't unlucky. But it must be remo