ken for once," said Edna, in a spiritless tone,
"you needn't rub it in, Mother. I can't imagine now what I could ever
have seen in that detestable creature."

"Nor I--especially as you could see nothing in Prince Mirliflor, who
really _was_--no, my dear, I'm only speaking for your good. If I was
sure you regretted your treatment of him, I might perhaps find some
way----"

"I dare say I should act differently if he asked me again. But he won't.
This dreadful story is sure to get round to him somehow. Of course I'm
glad Ruprecht has been found out in time. But he need not have been
exposed so publicly! I _do_ resent that. And you heard what Ruby said?
Miss Heritage was at the bottom of it. She deliberately planned this to
humiliate me! And if you have the smallest consideration for me, Mother,
you will forbid her to appear at Court after this."

"I'm afraid she is a designing young person," admitted the Queen, "and I
have thought more than once lately of sending her home to England."

"Then do it, Mother. If you don't, I shall simply refuse to appear in
public myself, sooner than meet her."

"She shall go, my dear. I'll see the Court Godmother about it at once.
And don't let yourself get too downhearted over the other
affair--Prince Mirliflor, I mean. I've great hopes we can put that
right."

"I've just left poor darling Edna," she began, as soon as she found the
Fairy alone; "all this has been a terrible shock to her, as you may
imagine. But it seems I was right in thinking she never really cared for
that unspeakable man. He _terrified_ her into accepting him. And,
between ourselves, Godmother, I fancy that, if you _could_ induce Prince
Mirliflor to come forward again, he would not be sent away a second
time."

"So I should imagine, myself," said the Fairy drily. "But, as it
happens, owing to the result of my previous efforts, I have lost all
influence with Mirliflor. He and I have fallen out."

"But you could easily make it up with him. You might say she was really
in love with him from the first, only she wished to put him to the
proof--something of that sort. Tell him how delighted we should all be
to see him again. There's _another_ little matter I wished to speak to
you about. Edna has taken the strongest dislike to that Miss Heritage,
who I must say has acted most unwarrantably. I have made up my mind to
part with her, and I thought, if you would arrange to have her taken
back to England as soon as the ca