he was coming too.

"Though, of course, if she knew I was her future King, she would be
only too delighted to be going with me," he thought. "All the same, I
think I will go quite quietly without any fuss, there will be plenty of
time for that afterwards."

He assisted while the young lady was being dressed. She looked very
beautiful, with a long train, and feathers in her hair, and a sheaf of
lilies in her arms.

"Just like a fairy princess," thought Thomas.

She went downstairs. Thomas followed her. She got into her carriage.
Thomas, concealed by her train, crept in too.

"I thought Thomas got in with me," she said anxiously.

But Thomas hid himself under the seat. When they arrived at the door
of the palace, she alighted, and Thomas got out after her.

The crowd was so occupied in gazing at the young lady's beauty that
they never looked at Thomas at all.

This annoyed him. He was almost inclined to mew with vexation.

"Never mind," he consoled himself, "she, poor girl, has only this one
chance of being looked at, but everyone will always be looking at me
when I am King of England," so he refrained from mewing.

The young lady walked in through the folding doors. Thomas followed,
still concealed by the folds of her train.

They went along what seemed to Thomas miles and miles of red carpet,
and were finally ushered, through a great door, into a great room.
Thomas disengaged himself from the young lady's train and sniffed, just
to show that he was quite at home.

That sniff was fatal, for he scented a mouse somewhere!

The room was hung with red and gold, and surrounded with glittering
mirrors. There was a rustle of silks and satins. On every side were
court lords and ladies dressed in all their gorgeous splendour. Fans
fluttered, feathers nodded, diamonds sparkled in all directions. Over
all floated a strain of delicious dreamy music. At the end of the long
room, up six red-carpeted steps was the Queen's golden chair of state.
On it sat the Queen herself, smiling graciously. She was dressed in
white and blazing with jewels, and she had a crown of gold upon her
head.

It was Thomas' great opportunity! Who knows but that if he had walked
sedately up to the Queen and asked her hand in marriage that she might
not have consented, and then he might have turned into a Prince, and
been King of England! Yes, it was certainly Thomas' opportunity.

That fatal sniff!

He never saw the splendid