t enough. Most of the ladies thought so too, and
finally it was agreed to do as Amy had asked.

"So Princess Bethel was ordered to leave the palace at once, and it was
said that her father and mother had a dreadful time trying to live with
her for many a long day afterwards, but we all agreed that it served
them right.

"That very day Princess Amy was crowned Queen, and nobody was more
happy than I, for I knew that she would rule wisely and well.

"I was not mistaken, for she soon began to make new laws and change the
old ones for the good of her subjects.

"I was one day with her in the cellars under the Palace looking through
some old chests of books, when we came upon one very large chest made
of solid steel, which stood in a small room alone. The key, a tiny
golden one, was in the lock and we opened it. The chest was lined with
gold, but had nothing in it but one gold coin in the bottom.

"'Why, what a splendid bank this would make,' said Queen Amy, 'I
believe I shall start one.'

"That very day she began saving gold in the big chest, and continued
putting by as much as she could spare to use it in a time when the
crops might be poor, or war threatened.

"There were very few banks in the kingdom, and it was not long before
poor people were bringing their savings to the Palace to be put in the
chest. She had a great number of little glass boxes made, which fitted
into trays, and each box bore the name of the depositor. The key of
the chest she carried on a fine strong chain about her neck night and
day.

"One evening word came that the Princess Bethel's mother was very ill
and wished to see her niece. The Queen instantly called for her
carriage, and ordered a company of guards to accompany her, then as she
had to drive through a wood and was a little afraid of highwaymen she
took the gold key from her neck and fastened the chain around mine,
telling me not to remove it until she returned.

"I watched her drive away, and then went for a walk over the lawn
towards the water. I reached the little pier and stood for a few
moments looking at a small row boat which was tied there, wondering
whether I should go out for a few minutes on the bay, but as the night
was rather chilly I turned to go back for a wrap.

"I had not taken six steps before I was seized in a kind of whirlwind
which sprang up from the water and almost choked me. In my hurry to
get away I turned in the wrong direction and stepped off t