riddle you may ask Mirliflor will be quite beyond his power to
answer."

"Thank you very much for your advice, Court Godmother," said Edna. "I
daresay I shall be able to remember a riddle of some sort by this
evening."

The Fairy felt that she had extricated herself from her dilemma with
considerable tact and ingenuity. Not only had she delivered her godson
from the slight of being summarily rejected by this upstart girl, but
she had saved herself from all necessity to make any compromising
disclosures.

"Yes," she told herself complacently, "I've really got myself and
Mirliflor out of it very neatly indeed. I mayn't be quite as
quick-witted as I was in my prime--but I'm not in my dotage _just_
yet!"

CHAPTER XII

UNWELCOME ANNOUNCEMENTS

Princess Edna took the earliest opportunity of acting on the Fairy
Vogelflug's suggestion. At the conclusion of the banquet that evening,
she requested King Sidney to order the silver trumpets to be flourished,
and when this had been done and an expectant hush fell upon the
assembly, she rose. After regarding the Prince, who sat on her right,
with a graciousness which, enhanced as it was by her _pince-nez_, struck
terror into his very soul, she began in a high, clear tone:

"You all know, I think," she said, "that his Royal Highness Prince
Mirliflor of Clairdelune has done me the great honour of asking me to be
his wife, and that I have promised him my answer this evening. That
answer I am now about to give. Prince Mirliflor, you have impressed me
so favourably that, although I had previously no thought of marrying, I
have decided to accept you." At this the whole Court broke out in
frantic and rapturous applause, for they had been most anxious for the
Prince to succeed in his project--if only for the reason that it would
entail the removal of Princess "Four-eyes" to Clairdelune. The King
exclaimed, "Quite right! Sensible girl!" and Queen Selina assured the
Prince that he had won a treasure. Clarence, who had taken a liking to
his new brother-in-law, which was not entirely reciprocated, rose and
clapped him heartily on the back, while the old Court Chamberlain could
scarcely contain his pride and joy. Edna held up her hand for silence.
"Wait, please!" she said; "I haven't finished. I said I would accept
you, Prince Mirliflor, and so I will--on condition that you are able to
give the correct answer to a question I am about to ask you."

There was a murmur of disappoi