he sweetest
associations. And yet it might be that those associations would be his
last with her! It was almost a relief, on reaching the yew walk, to find
it deserted. He went to the Pavilion, and there he elicited from
Daphne's elderly duenna, who was rather hard of hearing, that, as her
young mistress was certainly not indoors, he would probably find her in
the grounds.

He searched all the yew walks in vain, and then, with a new and growing
uneasiness, turned towards the avenue, but he had got no farther than a
small pool in a marble basin when he heard a strange and dreadful noise
above him. He glanced upwards, and saw the bulk of a huge dragon sailing
high above the tree-tops. It was making swiftly for the valley; one of
its claws held a pendent form in fluttering drapery, and he knew too
well that the captive could only be she for whom he had been searching.
He had saved her once from the malice of her enemies--this time he was
powerless! He raved and cursed in impotent rage and despair while a
sudden gust swept the pool and sent it surging over the brim, and a
slender cypress that stood hard by rustled and shivered as though in
terror. And as he stood there, he suddenly saw the old Court Chamberlain
before him, holding in one hand his silken cap and in the other a sword
and belt.

"Sire, Sire!" he stammered, "that accursed beast! It is bearing her off
to Drachenstolz! But you may save her yet!"

"Show me how to get there!" said Mirliflor fiercely. "If I can't save
her I can at least die with her. But those two devils shall pay for it
first!"

"Follow me," said the Baron, giving him the sword and, followed by
Mirliflor, he ran at a very creditable speed for his years in the
direction of the Palace.

* * * * *

A little before noon that morning the Royal Family had collected on one
of the terraces. King Sidney was pacing up and down engaged in private
and apparently important conversation with the Crown Prince. The Court
as usual kept a respectful distance and chattered and gossiped in
whispers. The Princess Royal and Princess Ruby were sitting at a jade
table playing the game that resembled Halma, while the Queen was
confiding her maternal anxieties to the Court Chamberlain's sympathetic
ear.

"To tell you the truth, Baron," she confessed, "I've not been at all
happy lately about Princess Edna. She _says_ nothing, but I can see
she's fretting over Prince Mirliflor's silenc