He was only pretending he couldn't, as a joke."

"He may say so, my dear--but, all the same, if it hadn't been for that
jewel----"

"Really, Court Godmother," said Queen Selina, who naturally resented
anything that detracted from her son's credit, "it astonishes me to
find anyone so--so clear-headed as you are in most things still clinging
to these superstitious ideas. As if the mere fact of wearing a piece of
jewellery could suddenly make anyone into a good rider!"

"It depends upon what the piece of jewellery is," said the Fairy.

Queen Selina saw her way to an absolutely crushing rejoinder. "Well,
this particular piece of jewellery," she said, "happens to be a paltry
ornament which I bought from Miss Heritage before I ever heard of
Maerchenland."

Her shot had certainly told. "What?" faltered the Court Godmother,
obviously out of countenance. "Did I understand you to say you _bought_
that jewel--and from the Lady Daphne?"

"I prefer to call her Miss Heritage--the other is merely a courtesy
title. Yes, I did buy it from her. She was in difficulties at the time,
and I gave her thirty pounds for it, which was a good deal more than
anybody else would have done."

"And--and--have you told this to any other person--the--the Marshal, for
instance?"

"My dear Court Godmother, I am not in the habit of _proclaiming_ my acts
of charity--for it _was_ an act of charity!"

"An act of charity," said the Fairy drily, "which I should strongly
advise you to keep to yourself."

"I intend to," replied the Queen, as she rose with much dignity, though
her face was redder than usual. "I should never have mentioned it at
all, even to you, Court Godmother, if I hadn't felt it necessary. Of
course, in my present position, I should never _dream_ of buying
jewellery from one of my own ladies-in-waiting. But it was different
then. I hadn't come into my Kingdom, and Miss Heritage was only my
governess; and anyway, it was a perfectly fair bargain, so my conscience
is absolutely clear. Still," she added, turning on the threshold,
"perhaps you will admit _now_ that you were just a _little_ mistaken in
attaching any importance to wearing that pendant?"

"Yes," said the Fairy, completely crestfallen and subdued, "I made a
mistake--a great mistake--I admit that."

"I thought you would!" returned the Queen triumphantly. "And now I must
go to dear Edna and tell her the news about Prince Mirliflor."

She had no suspicion of the state of mi