delune some day!"

"He may be, Mother," returned Edna. "But that is a consideration which I
shall not allow to affect me in the slightest."

"Of course not, my dear," said her Mother, feeling that Edna could be
safely trusted to look after her own interests. "You are free to decide
exactly as you please. I shall put no pressure on you whatever."

"My dear Mother," returned Edna, "you would gain nothing by it if you
did."

That night the Court Godmother retired early, and spent a long and
strenuous vigil in calling up a vivid recollection of Daphne as she had
seen her that afternoon, and imprinting the vision on her godson's
sleeping brain. She was unwell in consequence all the next day, but she
was easier in her mind after having prevented any untoward effects her
counsels might have had upon Mirliflor. It was rather a strain upon her
to face the Royal Family again, but she forced herself, for her own
sake, to treat them with as much outward respect as before.

She had begun to think that the worst was over when an envoy suddenly
arrived in hot haste from Clairdelune bearing a formal proposal from
Prince Mirliflor for Princess Edna's hand, and the information that he
was following shortly to plead his suit in person.

He had also entrusted the messenger with a short despatch to his
Godmother, which she read with impotent fury. It was a somewhat involved
and incoherent letter, expressing his thanks for the vision, for which
he could not doubt he was indebted to her, but intimating that she had
convinced him so forcibly that Princess Edna possessed qualities
infinitely more precious than the most exquisite beauty, that his
determination to win her had already been irrevocably fixed.

"Prefers her to Lady Daphne, does he?" she said to herself, as she
realised that she would be forced to speak out now if he was to be saved
from such an alliance. "Then he must _marry_ her, that's all! I can't
and won't turn all Maerchenland topsy-turvy on _his_ account! I've done
all I could for him, and I shall leave him to go his own way. I'll go up
to bed before he arrives, and I expect it will be a long time before I'm
able to come down, for I feel sure I am going to be ill--and little
wonder!"

Queen Selina was so elated by the Prince's message that she ordered it
to be publicly announced at once. The Court, whom she informed herself,
expressed the greatest delight, and, as for the old Court Chamberlain
von Eisenbaenden, he was