emora, poor
fellow, who should marry Molly; but he's dead."

At this very moment there was a _whizz_ in the air: something shot past
them, and, through the open window, the king, the queen, Benson, and the
mortal remains of the Firedrake were shot into the ambassador's drawing-
room!

{The King and Queen on the carpet: p95.jpg}

CHAPTER XIV.

_The King Explains_.

The first who recovered his voice and presence of mind was Benson.

"Did your lordship ring for coffee?" he asked, quietly; and when he was
told "Yes," he bowed and withdrew, with majestic composure.

When he had gone, the prince threw himself at the king's feet, crying:

"Pardon, pardon, my liege!"

"Don't speak to me, sir!" answered the king, very angrily; and the poor
prince threw himself at the feet of the queen.

But she took no notice of him whatever, no more than if he had been a
fairy; and the prince heard her murmur, as she pinched her royal arms:

"I shall waken presently; this is nothing out of the way for a dream. Dr.
Rumpfino ascribes it to imperfect nutrition."

All this time, the Lady Rosalind, as pale as a marble statue, was leaning
against the side of the open window. The prince thought he could do
nothing wiser than go and comfort her, so he induced her to sit down on a
chair in the balcony,--for he felt that he was not wanted in the drawing-
room;--and soon they were talking happily about the stars, which had
begun to appear in the summer night.

Meanwhile, the ambassador had induced the king to take a seat; but there
was no use in talking to the queen.

"It would be a miracle," she said to herself, "and miracles do not
happen; therefore this has not happened. Presently, I shall wake up in
my own bed at Falkenstein."

Now, Benson, William, and Thomas brought in the coffee, but the queen
took no notice. When they went away, the rest of the company slipped off
quietly, and the king was left alone with the ambassador; for the queen
could hardly be said to count.

{The King and Queen: p99.jpg}

"You want to know all about it, I suppose?" said his majesty, in a sulky
voice. "Well, you have a right to it, and I shall tell you. We were
just sitting down to dinner at Falkenstein, rather late,--hours get later
every year, I think--when I heard a row in the premises, and the captain
of the guard, Colonel McDougal, came and told us that a man had arrived
with the horns and tail of the Firedrake, and was claiming the r