and I hope to visit you ere long. Take
these evil men with you, and go to your place.'

Like a whirlwind they were in the crowd, scattering it like dust. Like
hounds they rushed from the city, their burdens howling and raving.

What became of them I have never heard.

Then the king turned once more to the people and said, 'Go to your
houses'; nor vouchsafed them another word. They crept home like
chidden hounds.

The king returned to the palace. He made the colonel a duke, and the
page a knight, and Peter he appointed general of all his mines. But to
Curdie he said:

'You are my own boy, Curdie. My child cannot choose but love you, and
when you are grown up--if you both will--you shall marry each other,
and be king and queen when I am gone. Till then be the king's Curdie.'

Irene held out her arms to Curdie. He raised her in his, and she
kissed him.

'And my Curdie too!' she said.

Thereafter the people called him Prince Conrad; but the king always
called him either just Curdie, or my miner boy.

They sat down to supper, and Derba and the knight and the housemaid
waited, and Barbara sat at the king's left hand. The housemaid poured
out the wine; and as she poured for Curdie red wine that foamed in the
cup, as if glad to see the light whence it had been banished so long,
she looked him in the eyes. And Curdie started, and sprang from his
seat, and dropped on his knees, and burst into tears. And the maid
said with a smile, such as none but one could smile:

'Did I not tell you, Curdie, that it might be you would not know me
when next you saw me?'

Then she went from the room, and in a moment returned in royal purple,
with a crown of diamonds and rubies, from under which her hair went
flowing to the floor, all about her ruby-slippered feet. Her face was
radiant with joy, the joy overshadowed by a faint mist as of
unfulfilment. The king rose and kneeled on one knee before her. All
kneeled in like homage. Then the king would have yielded her his royal
chair. But she made them all sit down, and with her own hands placed
at the table seats for Derba and the page. Then in ruby crown and
royal purple she served them all.

CHAPTER 35

The End

The king sent Curdie out into his dominions to search for men and women
that had human hands. And many such he found, honest and true, and
brought them to his master. So a new and upright court was formed, and
strength returned to the nation.

But the