ctual plane with me--we should have
nothing whatever in common. He seems to have none of the qualities that
would make me respect and look up to a man."

Relieved though she was, the Fairy still resented any disparagement of
her favourite godson from such a quarter.

"Hoity-toity!" she exclaimed--an expression which, if it ever was
popular, is no longer used by anyone but Fairy Godmothers--and even the
Fairy only indulged in it under extreme provocation. "Let me tell you
that Mirliflor is not generally regarded as ineligible. But, no doubt,
my dear," she added acidly, "you have every right to be fastidious."
She was greatly tempted to let her know that Mirliflor would be anything
but broken-hearted by a refusal, but prudence warned her that she had
better not. "And may I ask what you propose to say to him?"

"Oh," said Edna, "I suppose I shall have to tell him to-night that I
find I don't like him enough to marry him."

"And give everybody to understand that he is personally displeasing to
you! Indeed you will not!" said the old Fairy imperiously. "_Other_
persons' feelings have to be considered as well as your own. _Mine_, for
one. Mirliflor would never forgive me for exposing him to such
humiliation. Nor would his father, King Tournesol, for that matter, and
I can't afford to quarrel with either of them. You can't get rid of an
unwelcome suitor like that--at all events, not in Maerchenland!"

"Can't I?" said Edna. "Then how _am_ I to get rid of him?"

"A Princess of high breeding," replied the Fairy, "finds some means of
tempering her refusal so as to avoid wounding her suitor's pride; and I
may tell you Mirliflor has more than his share of that. The usual method
here is to accept him, on condition that he succeeds in answering some
question so difficult that it is no disgrace if he fails to answer it."

"Do you mean something in the nature of a riddle?" asked Edna.

"Well, a riddle will do. Yes, there are precedents for that. A riddle
would be quite in accordance with Court etiquette. Ask him a riddle if
you like."

"I'm afraid I am not very familiar with riddles," said Edna. "I have
never found them particularly amusing myself. But I must try and
remember one. It needn't be so very difficult, because he doesn't seem
to me clever enough to guess _any_ riddle."

"Quite clever enough not to try!" was on the tip of the Fairy's tongue,
though she did not say it. "I've no doubt, my dear," she replied, "that
any