"And who," she asked sweetly, "will unmask your Royal Highness before the people, so that they may see the true Prince Udo underneath?" "What do you mean?" said Udo, though he was beginning to guess. "That noble handsome countenance which is so justly the pride of Araby--how shall we show that to the people? They'll form such a mistaken idea of it if they all see you like this, won't they?" Udo was quite sure now that he understood. Hyacinth had understood at the very beginning. [Illustration: _He forgot his manners, and made a jump towards her_] [Illustration: _She glided gracefully behind the sundial in a pretty affectation of alarm_] "You mean that if the Princess Hyacinth falls in with your plans, you will restore me to my proper form, but that otherwise you will leave me like this?" "One's actions are very much misunderstood," sighed Belvane. "I've no doubt that that is how it will appear to future historians." (To Roger, certainly.) It was too much for Udo. He forgot his manners and made a jump towards her. She glided gracefully behind the sundial in a pretty affectation of alarm . . . and the next moment Udo decided that the contest between them was not to be settled by such rough-and-tumble methods as these. The fact that his tail had caught in something helped him to decide. Belvane was up to him in an instant. "There, there!" she said soothingly, "Let _me_ undo it for your Royal Highness." She talked pleasantly as she worked at it. "Every little accident teaches us something. Now if you'd been a rabbit this wouldn't have happened." "No, I'm not even a rabbit," said Udo sadly. "I'm just nothing." Belvane stood up and made him a deep curtsey. "You are his Royal Highness Prince Udo of Araby. Your Royal Highness's straw is prepared. When will your Royal Highness be pleased to retire?" It was a little unkind, I think. I should not record it of her were not Roger so insistent. "Now," said Udo, and lolloped sadly off. It was his one really dignified moment in Euralia. On his way to his apartment he met Wiggs. "Wiggs," he said solemnly, "if ever you can do anything to annoy that woman, such as making her an apple-pie bed, or _anything_ like that, I wish you'd do it." Whereupon he retired for the night. Into the mysteries of his toilet we had perhaps better not inquire. * * * * * As the chronicler of these simple happenings many years ago, it is my duty to be impartial. "These are the facts," I should say, "and it is for your nobilities to judge of them. Thus and thus my characters have acted; how say you, my lords and ladies?" I confess that this attitude is beyond me; I have a fondness for all my people, and I would not have you misunderstand any of them. But with regard to one of them there is no need for me to say anything in her defence. About her at any rate we agree.