ey had reached the steps of the dais, he looked up, and ordered
them to halt in so peremptory a tone that even Queen Selina obeyed
involuntarily.

"What's up _now_?" inquired Clarence in an undertone.

"This packet directed to myself," said the President, "was found on the
body of the late Marshal. It contains an order under the Royal seal and
signature, which I will now read to the Council." And he read the
Queen's secret order to the Baron to convey Daphne to England, which
provoked general horror and execration.

The Queen was thunderstruck as she heard this fresh proof of the
Marshal's duplicity--she felt more than ever that she had been a fool to
trust him--she might have known that he would take some dishonourable
advantage of her confidence!

"What have you to answer to this?" the President was saying to her, and
she could see that both her husband and son were waiting anxiously for
her reply.

"Is it necessary for me to deny that I ever gave such an order?" she
said, with a virtuous indignation that was really very well done. "Of
course it was forged by that wicked Marshal!" (so fortunate, she
thought, that he was dead!) "It is easy to see with what motive."

Clarence and his father breathed again. For a few dreadful minutes they
had been haunted by an ugly fear--lest--but they ought to have felt
assured that no member of the Wibberley-Stimpson family could be so
unworthy of the name.

"It is possible," said the venerable President doubtfully, "that the
handwriting may be but an imitation."

"Nay," struck in the sturdy Burgomaster, "it is hers, sure enough. There
can be no doubt to my mind that both our unlawful sovereigns and their
son have plotted to deport our true Queen, the Lady Daphne, and that
their vile design has succeeded but too well!"

"You're quite out of it, old cock!" shouted Clarence, through the roar
of assent that greeted the Burgomaster's speech. "Why should we plot
against her, when we hadn't an idea she had a right to the throne?"

"So you allege," said the Burgomaster. "But this order speaks for
itself, and if the Council will take my advice it will order all three
of the prisoners to be executed at once in the City Square, in sight of
the people they have wronged and deceived."

This suggestion evidently commended itself to the majority, but the
President demurred. "We must not act too hastily," he said, "lest we
find too late that we have been misled by appearances. It may be