the attendant
boat, then another, and a fourth. At last the steamer lay, moored bow
and stern, broadside on to the cliff, a few yards from the mouth of
the cave.

The Queen, fully dressed at last, ran to her father's room. Kalliope
was at her heels. Donovan was in bed and still asleep. At that hour
Smith had not even brought him his cup of coffee or his shaving water.
The Queen was less ruthless than Kalliope had been. She did not pull
her father out of bed; but she wakened him without pity.

"Father," she said, "a steamer has arrived. She came during the night.
She looks like a yacht. Do you think she can be a yacht? I wonder
who's on board of her."

Donovan sat up and yawned.

"Is she going off again right now?" he asked.

"Oh no," said the Queen, "she has gone in quite close to the shore.
She has put out four anchors. She looks as if she meant to stay for
weeks."

"Then there's no darned hurry," said Donovan, "and no need for me to
strain my heart by getting out of bed at this hour. Just you run away,
Daisy, and take that girl of yours with you."

"But, father, don't you want to see the yacht? Don't you want to know
who's in her?"

"We'll send Smith after breakfast," said Donovan, "and ask the
proprietor to dine."

Mr. Donovan lay down again and put his head on the pillow.

"But I can't possibly wait till dinner-time," said the Queen.

"Well, luncheon," said Donovan.

His voice was a little muffled. After lying down he had taken a pull
at the bedclothes and had arranged the corner of the sheet over his
mouth and ear.

The Queen gave him up; but she was not willing to wait even till
luncheon-time or to trust Smith to deliver the invitation. Kalliope
shared her impatience.

"Go row," she said, "quick--quick--slick."

"Slick" was a word which she had recently learned from Smith. He often
used it in urging on his staff of housemaids. He was forced to use an
English word now and then when he could not express his meaning in the
Megalian language. There is no equivalent to "slick" in Megalian.

What the Queen wanted most at the moment was to be quick and slick in
getting off. She and Kalliope ran down to the steps where their boat
lay moored. Smith was there, looking at the strange steamer.

"Oh, Smith," said the Queen, "is it a yacht?"

"Don't know, your Majesty," said Smith. "Never saw her before. She
looks to me like a foreigner, your Majesty, not an English boat."

"Well, I'll soon find out,"