still, _cabra_! Do you not know that I am
Isabel the Second, Queen of all the Spains!"

But the she-goat, having no very strong monarchial sentiments, or
perhaps being inclined to Carlist opinions, as soon as she felt the grip
of unaccustomed fingers promptly kicked over in the dust the Queen of
all the Spains.

The little girl had not time to gather herself up or even to emit the
howl of disappointment and anger which hovered upon her lips, before her
attendant rushed at her with pitiful cries:

"Oh, the wicked goat! The devil-possessed emblem of Satan! Let it be
slain! Did not your poor Susana warn you to have nothing to do with such
evil things--thus to overturn in the dust the best, the sweetest, the
noblest of Princesses!"

But the best and sweetest of Princesses, having violent objections to
being gathered up into the capacious embrace of her nurse, especially
before company, vigorously objected in much the same manner as the goat
had done, and at last compelled Dona Susana to deposit her once more on
the paved floor of the miniature kitchen. Having arrived in which place,
her anger completely vanished, for a tankardful of rich warm goat's milk
was handed to her by La Giralda, and in this flowing bowl she soon
forgot her woes.

"You must come down to the palace and be paid," said the little girl;
"we are most of us very hungry there, and those who are not hungry are
thirsty. The waggons from Madrid have been stopped on the way, and all
the guards have gone to bring them back!"

At this Dona Susana looked quickly across to the old goatherdess and
signalled that the little Princess was not to be informed of anything
she might happen to know.

"You have not been in the town, I trust!" said Dona Susana.

Now La Giralda could conscientiously have declared that she had never
been within the gates of San Ildefonso in her life, but thinking that in
the circumstances the statement might appear a suspicious one, she
modified it to a solemn declaration that she had come directly down from
her farm on the mountain-side, as, indeed, they themselves had seen.

Satisfied of her veracity, Dona Susana took her very independent and
difficult charge by the hand and led the way towards the palace of La
Granja, glimpses of which could be obtained through the foliage which
was still everywhere verdant and abundant with the first freshness of
spring--so high did the castle lie on the hill-slopes, and so enlivening
were the w