aste waters downthrown from the rocky crests of Penalara,
whose snows glimmered through the trees, as it seemed, but a bowshot
above their heads.

The goats, each expecting their turn of milking, followed at her heels
as obediently as well-trained dogs. Most of them were of the usual
dark-red colour, a trifle soiled with the grey dust on which they had
been lying. A few were white, and these were the favourites of the
little Queen, who, though compelled to go on ahead, looked constantly
back over her shoulder and endeavoured to imitate the shrill whistling
call by which La Giralda kept her flock in place.

When they arrived at the palace front the doors stood wide open. At Dona
Susana's call an ancient major-domo appeared, his well-developed
waistcoat mating ill with the pair of shrunk and spindle shanks which
appeared beneath. The sentry boxes, striped red and gold with the
colours of Spain, were empty. At the guard-houses there were no lounging
sergeants or smart privates eager to rise and salute as the little Queen
passed by.

There was already indeed about the palace an air of desolation. The
great gates in front towards the town had been closed, as if to shut off
infection, and the Court itself, dwindled to a few faithful old
retainers of Fernando VII., surrounded his widow and her new husband
with a devotion which was yet far more than their due.

It was not long before La Giralda had milked the remainder of the flock
and sent the creaming white pitchers into the palace. Little Isabel
danced with delight as one she-goat after another escaped with infinite
tail-waggling and bleatings of pleasure. And in the dearth of other
amusement she desired and even commanded the old woman to remain and
pasture her herd within the precincts of the palace. But La Giralda had
much yet to do. She must find out the state and dispositions of the town
of San Ildefonso, and then rejoin her companions in the little corrie or
cauldron-like _cirque_ in which she and the sergeant had left Rollo and
the other members of the expedition.

So after the small and imperious royal maid had been carried screaming
and battling upstairs by Dona Susana and the globular major-domo, La
Giralda, richly rewarded in golden coin of the realm, and with all the
requisite information as to the palace, betook herself back to the gate
by which she had left the ass. This she loaded again, and driving it
before her she retraced her steps past the corner of