"I shall be thankful to get away myself," added Edna. "What is Maerchenland, after all?--just a petty little Kingdom that nobody even knows is in existence!" "_You_ may go if you please," Mrs. Stimpson declared. "_I_ shall stay--if I have to sit and starve to death at the Palace Gates! And a pretty scandal _that_ will be!" "If you were allowed to starve," said the Fairy Vogelflug--"which you wouldn't be, you'd get food enough--but no sympathy. So I should advise you myself to return to your own Country, where you are probably held in more esteem than you are here. And now," she added to Daphne, "I must ask your Majesty's leave to withdraw to my own apartments. I shall be obliged if you would send the Baron to me as soon as he arrives from Clairdelune." And with this, and a stiff but stately curtesy to the young Queen, she hobbled out of the Throne Room. "I shall maintain to my dying breath," declared Mrs. Stimpson vehemently, "that, after governing this Country as we have done, we have earned the right to stay in it. I consider we are not only entitled to that, but to a suitable establishment and pension. Your Majesty can surely spare us something out of all we have given up!" Daphne intimated that she wished to reply to Mrs. Stimpson in private, whereupon the others withdrew out of hearing and left them together. "I hate having to say it," she began in a low voice, "but you really can't stay here on any terms, Mrs. Stimpson--I think I needn't tell you why." "Your Majesty surely doesn't suspect me of any----?" "I don't suspect," said Daphne, "I _know_ how you tried to part me from Prince Mirliflor for ever--and how nearly you succeeded. _He_ knows, too.... Oh, you are in no danger from us--_we_ shall say nothing. But there is someone else who _might_." "Not--not the Baron?" cried Mrs. Wibberley-Stimpson, so thrown off her guard that she failed to see how completely the question gave her away. "Yes," said Daphne gravely, "the Baron. You heard what the Court Godmother said about seeing him as soon as he returns? We have forbidden him to speak--but it's quite possible that she will get the truth out of him--and that might be rather disagreeable for you, mightn't it?" "Very," agreed the trembling Mrs. Stimpson. "She'd have no mercy on me--on any of us!" "I'm afraid not," said Daphne, "and she might not listen even to me. So--don't you think it would be wiser to change your mind about staying and go back to Gablehurst before she _does_ see him?" "Much," said Mrs. Wibberley-Stimpson in a half-choked voice--"much! if--if it can be arranged." "I think it can. The journey to Clairdelune and back won't tire the storks--they will be quite able to take you over to England as soon as you are ready to start." "We'll go and get ready at once," said Mrs. Stimpson, "so as not to keep the car waiting." "You have plenty of time. It can't be here for some hours yet."