s-in-waiting in future without any distressing sense of
inferiority.

She was on the point of summoning them when the King suddenly burst into
her bower. "Selina, my love," he began, with suppressed excitement, "if
you'll tell this good woman to go, I've something to say to you."

"Oblige me, Sidney," replied the Queen, "by not alluding to the High
Court Godmother again as a good woman; we may consider ourselves very
fortunate that she is doing us the honour of residing under our roof,
and you will be good enough to show her proper respect."

"Oh, sorry, I'm sure; I thought you said--but if _that's_ how it is, I
apologise for interrupting you."

"I have said all I have to say," said the Court Godmother, "so there is
no need for me to remain any longer." And with that she hobbled out of
the room.

"I suppose you got your way about those--ah--bird-chariots, my dear?" he
asked, "as you don't seem to have sacked her!"

"She seemed so upset at the idea of giving them up that I said she might
keep them. I shall certainly not 'sack' her, as you call it. Now I've
come to know her better, I find she is a good, faithful old soul who is
much too useful to part with, and you must be very careful to be civil
to her in future. What was it you wanted to say to me?"

"The Lord Treasurer and I have been going into our private resources,"
he said. "I thought perhaps you might like to come with me to my
Counting-house and--and have a look at 'em, my dear."

She was only too eager to do so. "Tell me, Sidney," she gasped, as they
hurried through various corridors to the wing in which the King's
Counting-house was situated. "Shall we--shall we have enough to live on
decently?"

"I don't know what _you_ will think," he replied, with an irrepressible
chuckle, "but I should call it affluence myself--positive affluence, my
love!"

They arrived at a heavily clamped door, where the Marshal, the
Treasurer, and Prince Clarence and Princess Edna were waiting for them.
"Two steps down," said King Sidney after unlocking the door.

"And here we _are_!" he cried triumphantly, as they entered.

The Counting-house was a huge barrel-roofed chamber lighted from windows
protected by elaborate scroll-work bars. Upon shelves all round the
walls, and piled in heaps on the floor, were sacks, "Every blessed one,"
explained the King, "chock full of gold ducats! What do you think of
_that_, eh, my love?"

"I think, Sidney," she replied, "that _I_ am