s the throne steps to Florizel, and his fetters jangled
as she threw her arms round him.

'Dear me!' said the King, rubbing his nose with his sceptre; 'this is
very awkward.'

The Princess laughed happily.

'Oh, my clever Princess,' whispered Florizel; 'you're as clever as
you're dear, and as dear as you're beautiful.'

There was a silence.

'Well, really,' said the King, 'I don't quite see----'

The father and mother of Florizel had wriggled and wormed their way
through the crowd to a front place, and now the father spoke.

'Your Majesty, allow me. Perhaps I can assist your decision.'

'Oh, all right,' said the King upon his throne; 'go ahead. I'm struck
all of a heap.'

'You see before you,' said the King of Bohemia, 'one known to the world
of science and of business as R. Bloomsbury, inventor and patenter of
many mechanical novelties--among others the Patent Lightning Lift--now
formed into a company of which I am the chairman. The young
Lift-man--whose fetters are most clumsily designed, if you will pardon
my saying so--is my son.'

'Of course he's somebody's son,' said the King upon his throne.

'Well, he happens to be mine, and I gather that you do not think him a
good enough match for your daughter.'

'Without wishing to hurt your feelings----' began Candida's father.

'Exactly. Well, know, O King on your throne, and everyone else, that
this young Lift-man is no other than Florizel, Prince of Bohemia. I am
the King of Bohemia, and this is my Queen.'

As he spoke he took his crown out of his pocket and put it on. His wife
took off her bonnet and got her crown out of her reticule and put that
on, and Florizel's crown was handed to the Princess, who fitted it on
for him, because his hands were awkward with chains.

'Your most convincing explanation alters everything,' said the King upon
his throne, and he came down to meet the visitors. 'Bless you, my
children! Strike off his chains, can't you? I hope there's no
ill-feeling, Florizel,' he added, turning to the Prince; 'you see, an
engineer is only an engineer, whereas a Prince is a Prince, be he never
so disinherited. Will half an hour from now suit you for the wedding?'

So they were married, and they still live very happily. They will live
as long as is good for them, and when Candida dies Florizel will die
too, because she still carries his Life in her heart.

BILLY THE KING

'Now, William,' said Billy King's great-uncle, 'you are old