for such a miserable little visit!"

"A flying visit, let us call it," said the Duchess. "But, candidly, this
country of yours doesn't suit me. I don't feel safe with characters such
as Ogres and Giants and Dragons about."

"But I assure your Grace there are very very few--hardly any, in fact!"

"There are more than my nerves can stand," said the Duchess, firmly, and
Queen Selina, though deeply mortified by her guests' eagerness to go,
found that she could no longer detain them.

The Court Chamberlain and his attendants brought the stork car to the
palace door by the time the visitors had resumed their former costumes.

"Good-bye, dear Duchess!" said the Queen. "So charmed to have seen you,
even for so short a time. I hope some day you will come again."

"I think it improbable," was the grim reply. "And if you'll allow me to
say so, Ma'am, when I do stay anywhere, I prefer a house where I can be
sure of the sort of people I am likely to meet."

"I say, Marchioness," cried Clarence, as he joined them on the steps,
"you're not really going, are you? I wish you'd stay on a bit. We were
getting on thundering well together, you and I!"

"Very sad, isn't it?" she answered, with a charming but slightly mocking
grimace. "But Nibbles wouldn't like me to stop here philandering with
Fairy Princes--even if they _aren't_ quite the real thing. Good-bye,
Ma'am," she added, with a gay little nod, as she stepped into the car,
where the Duchess was already seated. "Thanks so much for having me!
It's a wonderful house to stay in--and a most interesting experience."

"I have an impression," said the Duchess drowsily, "that I shall wake up
presently and find all this has been a dream. I trust so, but, if not,
would you mind telling this elderly gentleman to set me down in some
unfrequented part--_not_ Stratford Place, where I should attract more
attention than is at all desirable."

"That's a good idea, Duchess!" said Lady Muscombe. "He can drop us on
Clapham Common, and we can share a taxi home."

Queen Selina kissed her hand affectionately to them both as the storks
spread their great wings and the car slowly rose. But her salute was
not returned--principally for the reason that both ladies had already
closed their eyes in slumber.

"And we might have made those two women our friends for life!" she
lamented, as she went indoors. "I hope, Edna, my love, you see _now_
what comes of getting your own way?"

"If I have been mista