"She'd make a wonderful--that has nothing to do with it. What I feel
so strongly about is this. For month after month I am fighting in a
strange country. After extraordinary scenes of violence and--peril--I
come back to my own home to enjoy the--er--fruits of victory. No
sooner do I get inside my door than I have all this thrust upon me."

"All what, Father?" said Hyacinth innocently.

"All _this_," said the King, with a circular movement of his hand.
"It's too bad; upon my word it is. I won't have it. Now mind,
Hyacinth, I _won't_ have it.

"But, Father, how can I help it?"

Merriwig paid no attention to her.

"I come home," he went on indignantly, "fresh from the--er--spoils of
victory to what I thought was my own peaceful--er--home. And what do
I find? Somebody here wants to marry somebody there, and somebody
else over there wants to marry somebody else over here; it's
impossible to mention any person's name, in even the most casual way,
without being told they are going to get married, or some nonsense of
that sort. I'm very much upset about it."

"Oh, Father!" said Hyacinth penitently. "Won't you see the Countess
yourself and talk to her?"

"To think that for weeks I have been looking forward to my return home
and that now I should be met with this! It has quite spoilt my day."

"Father!" cried Hyacinth, coming towards him with outstretched hands.

"Let me send for her ladyship," began Coronel; "perhaps she----"

"No, no," said Merriwig, waving them away. "I am very much displeased
with you both. What I have to do, I can do quite well by myself."

He strode out and slammed the door behind him.

Hyacinth and Coronel looked at each other blankly.

"My dear," said Coronel, "you never told me he was as fond of her as
that."

"But I had no idea! Coronel, what can we do now about it? Oh, I want
him to marry her now. He's quite right--she'll make a wonderful
Queen. Oh, my dear, I feel I want everybody to be as happy as we're
going to be."

"They can't be that, but we'll do our best for them. I can manage Udo
all right. I only have to say 'rabbits' to him, and he'll do anything
for me. Hyacinth, I don't believe I've ever kissed you in this room
yet, have I? Let's begin now."

Merriwig came upon the other pair of lovers in Belvane's garden. They
were sharing a seat there, and Udo was assuring the Countess that he
was her own little Udo-Wudo, and that they must never be away from