e. I hear he hasn't been
seen at Clairdelune lately--taken his dismissal so much to heart that
he can't appear in public, I suppose. But surely if he meant to try
again he would have done so before this!"

The worthy Baron was too faithful a servant to refrain from saying
something to reassure his Royal mistress, though a salutary recollection
of Mirliflor's warning made him careful not to say too much.

"I can assure your Majesty from my own personal knowledge," he replied,
"that his Royal Highness has by no means given up his intention of
renewing his addresses to the Princess Edna."

"Then why _doesn't_ he? There's nothing to prevent him--now."

"That, Madam," said the Baron importantly, "I am not at liberty to
explain" (as a matter of fact he had no idea why Mirliflor was
conducting his courtship in so eccentric a manner), "but I may say I
have reason to know that at this very moment he may be nearer the Palace
than is generally supposed."

"Really?" cried the Queen. "I must go and tell dear Edna that. It will
cheer her up."

"I must beg of your Majesty to treat it as strictly confidential for the
present," said the Baron hastily. "His Royal Highness prefers to take
the Princess by surprise."

"What a dear romantic person he is!" said Queen Selina. "Then, of
course, he must be humoured and I'll say nothing. But I'm so glad you
told me, Baron. It's taken _such_ a load off my mind!"

"Well," the King was telling Clarence, "those are old Goldenbergenland's
terms. If you'll marry his daughter, Princess Popanza, he'll let us have
all the gold we want; if you refuse, he won't even advance us a ducat.
Couldn't you see your way to--to meeting him, my boy?"

"Nothing doing!" said Clarence very decidedly. "Why, Hansmeinigel was
telling me the other day she's humpbacked, with a squint or something. I
couldn't take it on--even if," he added gloomily, "there weren't _other_
reasons to prevent me."

"Then," said his father, "I don't know how we're to get a fresh supply
of gold--the mine's stopped working, and the confounded Council won't do
anything for us."

"What's the matter with selling a few jewels?" suggested Clarence, as
his eye fell on the Halma board in passing, "they must be worth a lot."

"Not here. Too common. The people think they're of no value except to
kings and queens. Nothing but gold will go down in these parts. So you
see, my boy, that unless you can bring yourself to----"

"I say, Guv'nor," in