"Oh, Ruprecht will wait a year for me--won't you, Ruprecht? But the engagement must be proclaimed at once--we insist on _that_. And now you may kiss Mother, Ruprecht, and tell her that you already look on yourself as her son." The Count stooped to give his prospective Mother-in-law an amateurish embrace, while Ruby fled, fearing that her own turn would come next. "Good Lord, Edna!" said Clarence, drawing her aside, "have you gone dotty or what? To go and chuck a real good sort like Mirliflor, and then take this overgrown bounder--it beats me what you can see in the beggar!" "I see a man, Clarence, whom I feel I can really look up to." "You'll have the devil of a way to look up, if he goes on growing much longer. He's shot up lately like a bally beanstalk!" "You are jealous because he makes you feel so small. I glory in his being so big. He is just my idea of a superman!" "Strike out 'man' and substitute 'swine'!" said Clarence, "and I'm with you!" "There's no need to descend to vulgarity, Clarence. And it seems a pity you should be so prejudiced against him when he is only anxious to prove the affection he feels for _you_!" "Oh, _is_ he? Well, if he comes pawing me about, he'll find out what _my_ sentiments are!" "I should advise you to be civil to him--for your own sake," said Edna coldly, "because he's rather a powerful person." Queen Selina had no option but to inform the Court of the engagement without delay, and the general consternation it caused could only find expression in chilling silence. To the Court Godmother she tried to present the matter as favourably as possible. "I don't pretend," she said, "that it is quite all we could desire from a mere worldly point of view. But in a case of true love on both sides such as this, his Majesty and I both feel that it would not be _right_ to interfere. And you know what dear Edna can be when she's once set her mind on anything. Besides," she concluded, "we've insisted on their being engaged for a year--a good deal may happen before then." "It may," agreed the Fairy; "and I shall be very much surprised if it doesn't. But, so far as I am concerned, Princess Edna may bestow her hand as she pleases. I shall never go out of my way to find her a suitor again, I can assure you!" It had already occurred to her that the Royal Family might very shortly find Maerchenland too hot to hold them, which would relieve her of all responsibility for them. So she saw no reason for interfering with any of their proceedings.