see too, and I would be disgraced and ruined."

"Perhaps you're cake," suggested the boy.

"Perhaps so," answered the man, sadly. "Please keep my secret, for only
those who are solid loaf-sugar are of any account in this country, and
at present I am received in the best society, as you see."

"Oh, I won't tell," said Chubbins.

During this time Twinkle had been talking with a sugar lady, in another
part of the room. This lady seemed to be of the purest loaf-sugar, for
she sparkled most beautifully, and Twinkle thought she was quite the
prettiest person to look at that she had yet seen.

"Are you related to the king?" she asked.

"No, indeed," answered the sugar lady, "although I'm considered one of
the very highest quality. But I'll tell you a secret, my dear." She took
Twinkle's hand and led her across to a sugar sofa, where they both sat
down.

"No one," resumed the sugar lady, "has ever suspected the truth; but I'm
only a sham, and it worries me dreadfully."

"I don't understand what you mean," said Twinkle. "Your sugar seems as
pure and sparkling as that of the king."

"Things are not always what they seem," sighed the sugar lady. "What you
see of me, on the outside, is all right; but the fact is, _I'm hollow!_"

"Dear me!" exclaimed Twinkle, in surprise. "How do you know it?"

"I can feel it," answered the lady, impressively. "If you weighed me
you'd find I'm not as heavy as the solid ones, and Tor a long time I Ve
realized the bitter truth that I'm hollow. It makes me very unhappy, but
I don't dare confide my secret to anyone here, because it would disgrace
me forever."

"I wouldn't worry," said the child. "They'll never know the difference."

"Not unless I should break," replied the sugar lady. "But if that
happened, all the world could see that I'm hollow, and instead of being
welcomed in good society I'd become an outcast. It's even more
respectable to be made of brown sugar, than to be hollow; don't you
think so?"

"I'm a stranger here," said Twinkle; "so I can't judge. But if I were
you, I wouldn't worry unless I got broke; and you may be wrong, after
all, and as sound as a brick!"

Chapter VI
The Royal Chariot

JUST then the king came back to the room and said:

"The chariot is at the door; and, as there are three seats, I'll take
Lord Cloy and Princess Sakareen with us."

So the children followed the king to the door of the palace, where stood
a beautiful white and yellow sugar ch