utting her hand into her left
pocket, she drew out the ruby winking with the wine of mirth. "You can
dance in it." And suddenly they caught each other by the hands and went
capering and laughing round the Barn like children.

"Hurrah!" cried William, "now I know what a King should do in a Barn!"

"But he should do more than dance in it," said Viola; and putting her
hand into her right pocket she gave him the pearl, as pure as a prayer;
"beloved, he should pray in it too."

And William looked at her and knelt, and she knelt by him, and in
silence they prayed the same prayer, side by side.

Then William rose and said simply, "Now I know."

But she knelt still, and took from her girdle the diamond, as bright as
power, and she put it in his hand, saying very low, "Oh, my dear King!
but he should also rule in it." And she kissed his hand. But the King
lifted her very quickly so that she stood equal with his heart, and
embracing her he said, with tears in his eyes:

"And you, beloved! what will a Queen do in a Barn?"

"The same as a King," she whispered, and drew from her bosom the opal,
as lovely and as variable as the human spirit. "With the other three
stones you may, if you will, buy back your father's kingdom. But this,
which contains all qualities in one, let us keep for ever, for our
children and theirs, that they may know there is nothing a King and a
Queen may not do in a Barn, or a man and a woman anywhere. But the best
thing they can do is to work in it."

Then, going out, she came back with the bag which she had slung on
Pepper's back, and took from it her father's tools.

"In three weeks you learned all I learned in three years," said she.
"When I shod Pepper this morning I did my last job as a smith; for now
I shall have other work to do. But you, whether you choose to get your
father's lands again or no, I pray to work in the trade I have given
you, for I have made you the very king of smiths, and all men should do
the thing they can do best. So take the hammer and nail up the
horseshoes over the door while I get supper; for you look as hungry as
I feel."

"But there's nothing to eat," said the King ruefully.

However, he went outside, and over the door he hung as many shoes as
there are nails in one--the four Pepper had cast on the road, and the
three he had first made for her. As he drove the last nail home Viola
called:

"Supper is ready."

And the King went into the Barn and saw a Wedding Ca