marriage. To persuade Udo to do
what he was only longing to do, did not call for any superhuman
qualities of any kind. For a moment he had an impulse to tell the
King so, but he suppressed it. "After all," he thought, "if the King
wants cunning, and if I make a great business of doing something
absurdly easy, then he is getting it."

Merriwig, simple man, mistook his emotions.

"I see," he said, "that you are appalled by the difficulty of the
ordeal in front of you. You may well be so. You have known his Royal
Highness longer than I have, but even in our short acquaintance I have
discovered that he takes a hint with extraordinary slowness. To bring
it home to him with the right mixture of tact and insistence that
Araby needs his immediate presence--alone--may well tax the most
serpentine of minds."

"I can but try it," said the serpentine one simply.

The King jumped up and shook him warmly by the hand.

"You think you can do it?" he said excitedly.

"If Prince Udo does not start back to Araby to-morrow----"

"Alone," said Merriwig.

"Alone--then I shall have failed in my task."

* * * * *

"My dear," said the King to his daughter as she kissed him good-night
that evening, "I believe you are going to marry a very wise young
man."

"Of course I am, Father."

"I only hope you'll be as happy with him as I shall be with--as I was
with your mother. Though how he's going to bring it off," he added to
himself, "is more than I can think."

CHAPTER XXII

THE SEVENTEEN VOLUMES GO BACK AGAIN

King Merriwig of Eastern Euralia sat at breakfast on his castle walls.
He lifted the gold cover from the gold dish in front of him, selected
a trout, and conveyed it carefully to his gold plate. When you have
an aunt---- But I need not say that again.

King Coronel of Western Euralia sat at breakfast on _his_ castle
walls. He lifted the gold cover from the gold dish in front of him,
selected a trout, and conveyed it carefully to his gold plate. When
your wife's father has an aunt----

Prince Udo of Araby sat at breakfast---- But one must draw the line
somewhere. I refuse to follow Udo through any more meals. Indeed, I
think there has been quite enough eating and drinking in this book
already. Quite enough of everything in fact; but the time has nearly
come to say good-bye.

Let us speed the Prince of Araby first. His departure from Euralia
was sudden; five minutes' conversation with Coronel c