n he could go comfortably back to
Araby.

To tell the truth, Coronel was a little jealous of his friend. A
certain Prince Perivale, who had stayed at his uncle's court, had once
been a suitor for Hyacinth's hand; but losing a competition with the
famous seven-headed bull of Euralia, which Merriwig had arranged for
him, had made no further headway with his suit. This Prince had had a
portrait of Hyacinth specially done for him by his own Court Painter,
a portrait which Coronel had seen. It was for this reason that he had
at first objected to accompanying Udo to Euralia, and it was for this
reason that he persuaded himself very readily that the claims of
friendship called him there now.

For the last week he had been waiting in the forest. Now that he was
there, he was not quite sure how to carry out his mission. So far
there had been no sign of Udo, either on four legs or on two; it
seemed probable that unless Coronel went to the Palace and asked for
him, there would be no sign. And if he went to the Palace, and Udo
was all right, and the Princess Hyacinth was in love with him, then
the worst would have happened. He would have to stay there and help
admire Udo--an unsatisfying prospect to a man in love. For he told
himself by this time that he was in love with Hyacinth, although he
had never seen her.

So he had waited in the forest, hoping for something to turn up; and
first Wiggs had come . . . and now at last Hyacinth. He was very glad
that he had waited.

She was there on the morrow.

"I knew you'd come," said Coronel. "It looks just as beautiful,
doesn't it?"

"I think it's even more beautiful," said Hyacinth.

"You mean those little white clouds? That was my idea putting those
in. I thought you'd like them."

"I wondered what you did all day. Does it keep you very busy?"

"Oh," said Coronel, "I have time for singing."

"Why do you sing?"

"Because I am young and the forest is beautiful."

"I have been singing this morning, too."

"Why?" asked Coronel eagerly.

"Because the war with Barodia is over."

"Oh!" said Coronel, rather taken aback.

"That doesn't interest you. Yet if you were a Euralian----"

"But it interests me extremely. Let us admire the scene for a moment,
while I think. Look, there is another of my little clouds."

Coronel wondered what would happen now. If the King were coming back,
then Udo would be wanted no longer save as a suitor for Hyacinth's
hand. If,