The
chief trouble is that Gloria fancies she loves that miserable
gardener's boy, Pon. Suppose we throw Pon into the Great Gulf, your
Majesty?"

"It would do you no good," returned the King. "She would still love
him."

"Too bad, too bad!" sighed Googly-Goo. "I have laid aside more than a
bushel of precious gems--each worth a king's ransom--to present to your
Majesty on the day I wed Gloria."

The King's eyes sparkled, for he loved wealth above everything; but the
next moment he frowned deeply again.

"It won't help us to kill Pon," he muttered. "What we must do is kill
Gloria's love for Pon."

"That is better, if you can find a way to do it," agreed Googly-Goo.
"Everything would come right if you could kill Gloria's love for that
gardener's boy. Really, Sire, now that I come to think of it, there
must be fully a bushel and a half of those jewels!"

Just then a messenger entered the court to say that the banquet was
prepared for the strangers. So Cap'n Bill, Trot and Button-Bright
entered the castle and were taken to a room where a fine feast was
spread upon the table.

"I don't like that Lord Googly-Goo," remarked Trot as she was busily
eating.

"Nor I," said Cap'n Bill. "But from the talk we heard I guess the
gardener's boy won't get the Princess."

"Perhaps not," returned the girl; "but I hope old Googly doesn't get
her, either."

"The King means to sell her for all those jewels," observed
Button-Bright, his mouth half full of cake and jam.

"Poor Princess!" sighed Trot. "I'm sorry for her, although I've never
seen her. But if she says no to Googly-Goo, and means it, what can they
do?"

"Don't let us worry about a strange Princess," advised Cap'n Bill.
"I've a notion we're not too safe, ourselves, with this cruel King."

The two children felt the same way and all three were rather solemn
during the remainder of the meal.

When they had eaten, the servants escorted them to their rooms. Cap'n
Bill's room was way to one end of the castle, very high up, and Trot's
room was at the opposite end, rather low down. As for Button-Bright,
they placed him in the middle, so that all were as far apart as they
could possibly be. They didn't like this arrangement very well, but all
the rooms were handsomely furnished and being guests of the King they
dared not complain.

After the strangers had left the courtyard the King and Googly-Goo had
a long talk together, and the King said:

"I cannot force Gloria to