more pleasantly, what?"

Queen Selina felt that this repudiation had put one of her heaviest guns
out of action, but she was still undaunted. "I'm sure," she said, "_We_
have no wish to be associated with such a person. And, as for being
pretenders, I can only say that if the Marshal had come to me and told
me what I now know, I should have been quite ready to resign in Miss
Heritage's favour. But how _could_ I, when he never breathed a word to
me about it?"

"I should like to add," put in King Sidney, "that it has come as a
complete surprise to _me_. I'm anxious to do whatever is right and
proper, and if any reasonable arrangement can be come to, I won't stand
in the way."

This attitude produced an immediate reaction in their favour, as was
visible from the expressions on the faces of the whole Tribunal.

"Then," the President asked, "is the Council to understand that you are
prepared to resign at once?"

"Certainly," said the King. "Only too pleased!"

"Not at once," said Queen Selina. "We cannot leave the Kingdom without a
ruler--that would be very wrong. But as soon as Miss Heritage--or Queen
Daphne, if you like to call her so--chooses to come forward to claim the
crown we shall be delighted to give it up. Till then we are merely
holding it in trust for her."

"And where is Queen Daphne at present?" asked the Burgomaster.

"Well," said Queen Selina, "she _ought_ to be at Clairdelune by this
time."

"She must be sent for without delay," said the President, and the order
was given that messengers on swift steeds should be despatched to
Clairdelune at once.

"Well, gentlemen," said the Queen, after this business had been
concluded, "I hope you see that you owe us an apology for daring to put
us under arrest and treat us like criminals. Until Lady Daphne arrives
we are still the King and Queen of Maerchenland, and you will be good
enough to regard us as such."

"The Council wishes to express its deepest regret," said the President,
"for having exposed your Majesties' persons to undeserved indignity."

"And now, perhaps," said Queen Selina triumphantly, "we may consider
ourselves free to resume our thrones, if only to dissolve the Council?"

The guards fell back instinctively, and she and the King were proceeding
to their usual seats under the canopy without any protest from the
President, who was engaged at the time in deciphering the contents of a
packet which had just been brought to him.

Before th