girl," said the Fairy, "I'd defy the Astrologer Royal himself
to find it out, if he consulted all the stars and all his mystic books
into the bargain! How the dickens did you come to invent such a riddle
as that?"

"I didn't invent it," said Edna; "I heard it a long time ago--at the
Theatre--in some silly play. I've forgotten what the play was
about--but I remembered the riddle."

"Are you sure you remember the answer? I have heard of sausages
_talking_ occasionally, and I daresay they can roll, but I fail to see
what intelligible reason _any_ sausage could give for doing it."

"It's a catch," explained Edna. "It's like this. Why did the sausage
roll? Because it saw the jam-_turnover_. _Now_ do you see?"

"I can't say I do, my dear. It seems senseless to _me_. But that's all
the better--the more idiotic it is, the less chance of its being
guessed. Yes, on the whole, I don't think you could have thought of a
better one."

Shortly afterwards Prince Mirliflor, just as he was about to extinguish
the flambeaux and turn into bed, was startled to see his door opening by
some mysterious means. He was more startled still when the figure of the
old Court Chamberlain suddenly materialised in the centre of the room.

"Your Royal Highness will forgive my intrusion," said the Baron, "when I
explain the object of this visit. My reason for suggesting that the
Princess should grant you a night to answer her question was that I felt
convinced that she would be unable to refrain from telling it to some
person--her mother, most probably. So I resolved by means of this" (and
here he exhibited a small skull-cap of purple silk) "to penetrate unseen
to the Princess's apartments and overhear her conversation. To my
disappointment, she would reveal nothing to Her Majesty, but by-and-by
the Court Godmother paid the Princess a visit, in the course of which I,
remaining, of course, invisible, succeeded in learning the secret on
which your Royal Highness's happiness and the hopes of all Maerchenland
depend. The answer, it seems--though I must admit I can make little of
it myself--is----"

"Stop, Baron!" interrupted Prince Mirliflor, "I refuse--do you hear?--I
refuse to take advantage of any information obtained in such a
disreputable manner--I insist on your leaving this room at once without
another word!"

"But, sire, hear me! This is not a case for being over-scrupulous. In
love, as in war, all is fair. And the answer is--'Because----'"