the first offer she receives."

"Quite," said Princess Edna, "though it seems odd--even for a
Governess--to think of marrying a gardener! But I'm sure I wish her
_every_ happiness."

There is no doubt that the Court Godmother should have been content with
this, but her anger and disgust were too much for her discretion. She
could not resist the temptation to humiliate and confound these upstarts
by a sensational stroke, whatever it cost her.

"Perhaps," she said, "the Lady Daphne has made a wiser choice than any
of you may imagine." With this, after muttering an incantation, she
touched Girofle with her crutch-handled staff, and in his stead Prince
Mirliflor stood revealed in rich and splendid attire before them all.

The Queen was electrified for a moment, as were Edna and most present.
But as soon as the shock had passed she cried: "This _is_ a surprise!
But, my _dear_ Prince Mirliflor, why--_why_ didn't you tell us who you
were before? You see, we couldn't possibly----!"

"It was really too naughty of you to play us such a trick, Prince!" said
Edna, "when, as you might have known----!"

"Never mind!" purred the Queen, "we'll forgive him--won't we, Edna?"

"Of course you only said that about Miss Heritage to tease us?" said
Edna, who really believed it was so.

"I said but the truth, Princess," he replied. "She has promised to be my
wife."

"And the match," put in the triumphant Fairy, addressing Queen Selina,
"already has your sanction!"

"Oh," said the Queen, "but that was before--I think," she went on with a
forced smile of much sweetness--"I think you and I, my dear Court
Godmother, must have a little talk over this in private before I can
make up my mind _what_ I ought to do. Perhaps you will be kind enough to
follow me to my Cabinet? Excuse my deserting you for a little while, my
dear Mirliflor. I shall leave you to Edna, who, I know, is dying to
express all the gratitude and admiration she feels."

And she swept with great stateliness out of the Throne Room towards her
Cabinet, the Court Godmother following with a presentiment that her pet
scheme was about to encounter some opposition, and no very definite idea
how to meet it.

But that it must and should be overcome somehow she was thoroughly
determined.

It should be mentioned here that, shortly after his transformation,
Mirliflor found inside his rich doublet something which proved to be the
Chamberlain's cap. He was about to return it, but t