"But, Mater," said Clarence, "it can't be _her_! I thought you'd had her sent home?" "I had made arrangements for her return, Clarence, but it seems to have been postponed for some reason--luckily, as things have turned out. She has been given rooms in a pavilion behind the Palace Gardens, where no doubt she managed to become acquainted with this young man." "And he may take it," said the Fairy, "that the Lady Daphne is at liberty to depart with him at once?" "Certainly," said the Queen. "It is hardly, perhaps--but Miss Heritage is no doubt right in accepting the first offer she receives." "Quite," said Princess Edna, "though it seems odd--even for a Governess--to think of marrying a gardener! But I'm sure I wish her _every_ happiness." There is no doubt that the Court Godmother should have been content with this, but her anger and disgust were too much for her discretion. She could not resist the temptation to humiliate and confound these upstarts by a sensational stroke, whatever it cost her. "Perhaps," she said, "the Lady Daphne has made a wiser choice than any of you may imagine." With this, after muttering an incantation, she touched Girofle with her crutch-handled staff, and in his stead Prince Mirliflor stood revealed in rich and splendid attire before them all. The Queen was electrified for a moment, as were Edna and most present. But as soon as the shock had passed she cried: "This _is_ a surprise! But, my _dear_ Prince Mirliflor, why--_why_ didn't you tell us who you were before? You see, we couldn't possibly----!" "It was really too naughty of you to play us such a trick, Prince!" said Edna, "when, as you might have known----!" "Never mind!" purred the Queen, "we'll forgive him--won't we, Edna?" "Of course you only said that about Miss Heritage to tease us?" said Edna, who really believed it was so. "I said but the truth, Princess," he replied. "She has promised to be my wife." "And the match," put in the triumphant Fairy, addressing Queen Selina, "already has your sanction!" "Oh," said the Queen, "but that was before--I think," she went on with a forced smile of much sweetness--"I think you and I, my dear Court Godmother, must have a little talk over this in private before I can make up my mind _what_ I ought to do. Perhaps you will be kind enough to follow me to my Cabinet? Excuse my deserting you for a little while, my dear Mirliflor. I shall leave you to Edna, who, I know, is dying to express all the gratitude and admiration she feels." And she swept with great stateliness out of the Throne Room towards her Cabinet, the Court Godmother following with a presentiment that her pet scheme was about to encounter some opposition, and no very definite idea how to meet it. But that it must and should be overcome somehow she was thoroughly determined.