her's presence, paper in hand. "Is this
true?" she demanded.

"Dear, dear," said the Queen, having read no further than the
preliminary anecdote; "well, you shouldn't do such things!" Then she
came upon commentary and surmise, with dates, chapter, and verse. It did
not amount to very much, but such facts as there were to go upon were
insidiously underlined, and the Prince of Schnapps-Wasser was named.

"Oh, dear," she complained, "I do wish these papers would not be so
previous and officious and meddlesome and pretending to know so much."

"But is it true?" demanded Charlotte.

"Is what true?"

"Is it true that you have brought me here to meet him; that we have been
waiting for him to come; that some one has sent him my photograph and
that he----Oh, it is unbearable!" She broke off and snatched at the
offending paper, that she might once more sear her vision with its
triangular allusions.

"You oughtn't to read such tittle-tattle!" said her mother. "Why can't
you leave the papers alone?"

It was nothing much in itself, the usual coinage of the society
journalist intelligently anticipating events. It pointed with sleek
pleasantry to the fact that the Prince of Schnapps-Wasser, returning to
his inheritance after long exile, would find greeting awaiting him from
a royal house which had apparently been very anxious to make his
acquaintance. Then followed an account of the visit and prolonged
sojourn at Bad-as-Bad of the royal family of Jingalo; the beauty of the
Princess was spoken of, her accomplishments, her exploits in climbing
and walking; it was rumored that even in South America her photograph
had been seen and admired. It was known that the Prince had arrived
unexpectedly at his port of departure, and finding a boat on the point
of sailing had gone on board. Was it the knowledge that only till a
certain date----? The rest we need not set down here. As though it would
help her to blot out the record with its attendant circumstances,
Princess Charlotte tore the paper into little pieces.

"My dear, don't be so violent!" said the Queen.

"I have been brought here so that he may come and look at me!" cried the
Princess, white with wrath. The Queen took up her knitting.

"Nothing of the sort; you were brought here to be with us and to be kept
out of mischief."

"Why are we staying a fortnight longer than we intended to?"

"I don't know what you mean by 'we'; I intended to stay till your father
had completed