"I'm bound to say--" began the King, when the Queen interrupted: "You are bound to say that you'll keep your promise, Sidney, and that is enough till the dear fellow comes to claim his reward." It was the Marshal whose superfluous zeal led him to order Girofle to be stopped and brought into the Royal presence as soon as he arrived at the Palace. The Royal Family, with the Court Godmother, the Baron, and other members of the Household, had assembled in the Throne Room when the Marshal entered, leading the reluctant Girofle, acutely conscious of looking his very worst. After him came some men-at-arms, who carried the dragon's still terrific head, with those of the Count and Xuriel, as trophies of the hero's exploit. They caused a general but by no means unpleasant shudder to run through the beholders. "Your Majesties," said the ex-Regent, "I have the honour to present the gallant youth who has nobly earned even such a prize as the hand of her Royal Highness." "But--but," stammered Queen Selina, "this isn't--there's not the least _resemblance_! Baron, Baron, what did you mean by telling me that the Prince----?" "I--I must have been misinformed, your Majesty," said the Court Chamberlain, having no better explanation to offer. "You should be more careful about what you tell _Us_, Baron," said the Queen. "And, really, there was no need to bring those dreadful heads into our Throne Room, making all that horrible mess! It's a piece of bad taste which, perhaps--in an under gardener--please have them removed directly. Well, young man," she continued to the indignant Mirliflor, who, it need not be said, had nothing to do with the gruesome introduction of the heads, "I'm sure we are all very much obliged to you--very much obliged indeed. If you hadn't come forward as you did, it's dreadful to think what might have happened. And, though it seems you _did_ take the liberty of borrowing the Crown Prince's sword without permission, we are the last to blame you for that. We think you are entitled to be very handsomely rewarded. But if you're expecting our daughter, the Princess Edna's hand, I think your own good sense----" "Yes, yes," said the King; "mustn't open your mouth _too_ wide, you know. There's a limit to all things! And a round sum of money with which you could start in business and marry some nice little woman in your own class of life would be far more _useful_ to you." "I ask for no reward," said Girofle. "And the hand of a Princess is an honour to which I do not aspire, since I am already affianced!" "That," replied the Queen, "is very satisfactory. We shall certainly send the young person a wedding-present. Who _is_ she? One of the Royal kitchen-maids, I presume?" "She was in your Majesty's service as a lady-in-waiting," he said, "and her name is Daphne." "Oh," said Queen Selina. "Really? Miss Heritage? Well, you are to be congratulated, I'm sure."