efeated him in mortal combat and carried them away as the
spoils of the victor."

"Oh! And what did _you_ say?"

The Chancellor looked reproachful.

"Naturally, your Majesty, I have not spoken with them."

"Ah, well, I have been thinking it over in the night, and I remember
now that I _did_ kill him. You understand?"

"Your Majesty's skill in sword play will be much appreciated by the
people."

"Quite so," said the King hastily. "Well, that's all--I'm getting up
now. And we're all going home to-morrow."

The Chancellor went out, rubbing his hands with delight.

CHAPTER XVIII

THE VETERAN OF THE FOREST ENTERTAINS TWO VERY YOUNG PEOPLE

Do you remember the day when the Princess Hyacinth and Wiggs sat upon
the castle walls and talked of Udo's coming? The Princess thought he
would be dark, and Wiggs thought he would be fair, and he was to have
the Purple Room--or was it the Blue?--and anyhow he was to put the
Countess in her place and bring happiness to Euralia. That seemed a
long time ago to Hyacinth now, as once more she sat on the castle
walls with Wiggs.

She was very lovely. She longed to get rid of that "outside help in
our affairs" which she had summoned so recklessly. They were two
against one now. Belvane actively against her was bad enough; but
Belvane in the background with Udo as her mouthpiece--Udo specially
asked in to give the benefit of his counsel--this was ten times worse.

"What do you do, Wiggs?" she asked, "when you are very lonely and
nobody loves you?"

"Dance," said Wiggs promptly.

"But if you don't want to dance?"

Wiggs tried to remember those dark ages (about a week ago) when she
couldn't dance.

"I used to go into the forest," she said, "and sit under my own tree,
and by and by everybody loved you."

"I wonder if they'd love _me_."

"Of course they would. Shall I show you my special tree?"

"Yes, but don't come with me; tell me where it is. I want to be
unhappy alone."

So Wiggs told her how you followed her special path, which went in at
the corner of the forest, until by and by the trees thinned on either
side, and it widened into a glade, and you went downhill and crossed
the brook at the bottom and went up the other side until it was all
trees again, and the first and the biggest and the oldest and the
loveliest was hers. And you turned round and sat with your back
against it, and looked across to where you'd come from, and then you
_knew_ that eve