or putting a finger carelessly on the ducal heart,
which for convenience sake was reached by a little trapdoor in his
diamond shirt, had begun to say mechanically, "Cold, qui--," when he
stopped abruptly.

"What's this?" he cried, and first he shook the heart like a watch, and
then put his ear to it.

"Bless my soul!" cried the doctor, and by this time of course the
excitement among the spectators was tremendous, fairies fainting right
and left.

Everybody stared breathlessly at the Duke, who was very much startled
and looked as if he would like to run away. "Good gracious me!" the
doctor was heard muttering, and now the heart was evidently on fire, for
he had to jerk his fingers away from it and put them in his mouth.

The suspense was awful!

Then in a loud voice, and bowing low, "My Lord Duke," said the physician
elatedly, "I have the honour to inform your excellency that your grace
is in love."

You can't conceive the effect of it. Brownie held out her arms to the
Duke and he flung himself into them, the Queen leapt into the arms of
the Lord Chamberlain, and the ladies of the court leapt into the arms of
her gentlemen, for it is etiquette to follow her example in everything.
Thus in a single moment about fifty marriages took place, for if you
leap into each other's arms it is a fairy wedding. Of course a clergyman
has to be present.

How the crowd cheered and leapt! Trumpets brayed, the moon came out, and
immediately a thousand couples seized hold of its rays as if they were
ribbons in a May dance and waltzed in wild abandon round the fairy ring.
Most gladsome sight of all, the Cupids plucked the hated fools' caps
from their heads and cast them high in the air. And then Maimie went
and spoiled everything. She couldn't help it. She was crazy with delight
over her little friend's good fortune, so she took several steps forward
and cried in an ecstasy, "Oh, Brownie, how splendid!"

Everybody stood still, the music ceased, the lights went out, and all in
the time you may take to say "Oh dear!" An awful sense of her peril
came upon Maimie, too late she remembered that she was a lost child in a
place where no human must be between the locking and the opening of the
gates, she heard the murmur of an angry multitude, she saw a thousand
swords flashing for her blood, and she uttered a cry of terror and fled.

How she ran! and all the time her eyes were starting out of her head.
Many times she lay down, and then qu