toy-stalls in the market square which, though not of rubber, were
composed of a substance that proved an admirable substitute. They were
certainly open to one objection that, in ordinary circumstances, might
have disqualified them--they cost considerably under a farthing each.
But Clarence got over that by paying a ducat apiece for them. And then,
as the work progressed but slowly, he was forced to wait with what
patience he could until the links were ready for practising on.

It does not take long for most people to get accustomed to any
surroundings, no matter how novel, and Queen Selina and her family soon
became acclimatised. Now that her household had lost their terrors for
her, she began to enjoy the sensation of being a Queen and inspiring
reverence and awe wherever she went, though she could have wished to be
the ruler of a Kingdom that was not quite so _outre_ as Maerchenland.
However, she felt she must take it as it was, and in a short time she
had almost forgotten that there ever had been a period when she had not
occupied a throne.

Princess Edna, though she frequently protested that her rank had no
charms for her, was ready enough to assert it on all occasions, and
exercised authority over the unfortunate ladies-in-waiting to a degree
that might have rendered their lives a burden to them if they had been
able to take her as seriously as she did herself, which they were not.

"Mother," she remarked one day, "I've been quite shocked to find how
appallingly ignorant our Maids of Honour are. Fancy, they've never heard
of Shakespeare, or Ibsen, or Bernard Shaw, or--well, anybody!"

"My dear," said the Queen, "what can you _expect_ from such a set of
giggling, empty-headed minxes?"

"I know. Still, I feel it a duty to do what I can to improve their
minds. I shall bring down my note-book this afternoon. It's got all my
notes on those lectures on English Literature I attended last Autumn. I
thought I'd read them aloud to them. It would give them a very good
general idea of the subject. Enough, at least, to enable them to talk
about it without exposing themselves."

"I'm sure, Edna dear, it's most sweet of you to trouble about them."

"Oh, since I have to live with a Court, I must try and raise it to a
more intellectual level."

And so that afternoon, while the ladies of the Court were engaged, under
the Queen's supervision, in knitting little woollen garments of
shattering hues for the unsuspecting Gnomes,