"Oblige me, Sidney," replied the Queen, "by not alluding to the High Court Godmother again as a good woman; we may consider ourselves very fortunate that she is doing us the honour of residing under our roof, and you will be good enough to show her proper respect." "Oh, sorry, I'm sure; I thought you said--but if _that's_ how it is, I apologise for interrupting you." "I have said all I have to say," said the Court Godmother, "so there is no need for me to remain any longer." And with that she hobbled out of the room. "I suppose you got your way about those--ah--bird-chariots, my dear?" he asked, "as you don't seem to have sacked her!" "She seemed so upset at the idea of giving them up that I said she might keep them. I shall certainly not 'sack' her, as you call it. Now I've come to know her better, I find she is a good, faithful old soul who is much too useful to part with, and you must be very careful to be civil to her in future. What was it you wanted to say to me?" "The Lord Treasurer and I have been going into our private resources," he said. "I thought perhaps you might like to come with me to my Counting-house and--and have a look at 'em, my dear." She was only too eager to do so. "Tell me, Sidney," she gasped, as they hurried through various corridors to the wing in which the King's Counting-house was situated. "Shall we--shall we have enough to live on decently?" "I don't know what _you_ will think," he replied, with an irrepressible chuckle, "but I should call it affluence myself--positive affluence, my love!" They arrived at a heavily clamped door, where the Marshal, the Treasurer, and Prince Clarence and Princess Edna were waiting for them. "Two steps down," said King Sidney after unlocking the door. "And here we _are_!" he cried triumphantly, as they entered. The Counting-house was a huge barrel-roofed chamber lighted from windows protected by elaborate scroll-work bars. Upon shelves all round the walls, and piled in heaps on the floor, were sacks, "Every blessed one," explained the King, "chock full of gold ducats! What do you think of _that_, eh, my love?" "I think, Sidney," she replied, "that _I_ am the person who should have the key." "There's one for each of us," he said. "Here's yours. And on that table there you'll find purses laid out, and a little gold shovel to fill them with. I've filled mine. Whenever our funds are running low, you see, we've only to come down here and help ourselves." "Good biz!" said the Crown Prince, beginning to fill one of the purses. "I shall fill my pockets as well--save another journey, what?" "Some of us do not possess pockets, Clarence," said his mother. "And I must make it a rule that no one is to take out more than a purseful at a time, and only after satisfying me that the money is required for some legitimate purpose."