-love. But I know I shall have no peace until I
consent to marry somebody; the Elders are wild with anxiety that I
should choose a husband; they worry me every day, ay, and almost every
hour of the day, about it, until I am driven very nearly out of my
senses by the thought that, sooner or later, I shall be constrained to
become the wife of some man whom I detest. That is my trouble,
gentlemen; I wonder if you are clever enough to devise a means of
helping me."

"Yes, Your Majesty, we are," answered Dick confidently. "I don't say
that we already have a plan; for that would be asserting far too much.
But you have told us the nature of your trouble, which of course is the
first thing that it is necessary for us to know; and now we will lose no
time in thinking out a remedy. Trust to us, madam; we will not fail
you. We have practically pledged ourselves to spend the remainder of
our lives in your country--your Elders compelled us to do that--and the
removal of your trouble and the securing of your happiness shall have
precedence of every other consideration with us."

The Queen's gratitude was so great that she seemed scarcely able to find
words in which to express herself adequately; it was almost painful to
witness, so eloquently did it testify to the desperation with which she
had been compelled to combat the suggestions of unwelcome alliances with
which she had been perpetually harassed; but she contrived to make it
quite clear that the arrival of the two Englishmen filled her with
renewed hope and a revived zest in life. "I know," she said, "that it
must sound unkind of me to say so, but I cannot help being glad that you
are here; for now at last I feel that I have two friends who will stand
by me and help me to the utmost of their ability. Besides," she added
delightedly, as the thought came to her, "you will be companions for me.
I have been utterly lonely and friendless since my mother died; but you
will come to see me often--every day--won't you? And we can walk and
talk together, and I can again be happy."

"Of course," answered Grosvenor eagerly. "You may absolutely depend
upon us both to do anything and everything that you may ask of us. I
believe we are each to be assigned certain duties, which I suppose we
shall be expected to perform; but our first duty is to you, our first
care must be for your happiness, and, so far as we can prevent it, you
shall never again be worried by those old jossers the