ead.

But the audience murmured, and seemed dissatisfied; and Silvia smiled
maliciously; and even the dwarf, over whom the Headsman was standing
with uplifted axe, showed his teeth in an ugly grin.

'Silence!' shouted Yellow-cap. 'I have not yet done.
Headsman--strike!'

Down came the heavy axe; and everyone thought that the dwarf must be
cloven asunder from head to foot. But before the axe could reach him
there was no dwarf there. Whether he melted into nothing, or whether
he disappeared down one of those trap-doors which are to be found in
every stage, or what else became of him, will probably never be known.
At all events the blade of the axe came down upon the bare boards and
buried itself six inches deep in the wood, and no dwarf was there, but
only the glittering half of a spade guinea, strung on a broken thread
of silk. This the Headsman placed in Yellow-cap's hand, and he hid it
in his bosom.

'He lives still!' said Silvia, smiling again.

'But he will never again cross my path,' replied Yellow-cap. 'King
Assimund,' he added, 'accept my parting gift before I go. With this
and with your crown, and with Silvia to whisper worldly wisdom in your
ear, it will be your own fault if you are not the mightiest sovereign
in Christendom.'

So saying he snatched off the yellow cap from his own black locks and
clapped it down upon Assimund's foolish poll. At the same moment he
felt the arms of the village maiden tighten round his waist.

He struck his heels into the donkey's sides and shook the rein. The
donkey kicked up its heels, and seemed to spring bodily off the stage.
Yellow-cap (but he was now Yellow-cap no longer) had a momentary
glimpse of Assimund, now wearing an aspect of imperial magnificence,
of Silvia, frowning and biting her lip, and of the whole great
audience standing up and shouting; and then he had a feeling of
passing rapidly through the air he knew not whither....

He came down very softly.

It was high noon. They were in the meadow beside the river. The donkey
was feeding quietly near at hand; Raymond had fallen on his knees in
the grass, and Rosamund was standing before him.

'Oh, Rosamund,' he said, 'you are my kingdom! Will you take me back?'

'You have been a very naughty boy,' she replied, 'and you deserve a
scolding. But come home first and have some milk, for you must be
hungry.'

Raymond looked up at her. She was more lovely than ever. There was a
sparkle of laughter in her eyes a