"Anything your Majesty sets me to do. It's as well," he added with a disarming smile, "that you cannot ask for the whiskers of the King of Barodia. There is only one man who could have got those." Truly an excellent young man. "Well, we'll arrange something," said Merriwig, looking pleased. "Perhaps your Prince Udo would care to be a competitor too." Hyacinth and Coronel interchanged a smile. "Alas, Father," she said, "his Royal Highness is not attracted by my poor charms." "Wait till he has seen them, my dear," said Merriwig with a chuckle. "He has seen them, Father." "What? You invited him here? Tell me about this, Hyacinth. He came to stay with you and he never----" "His Royal Highness," put in Coronel, "has given his affections to another." "Aha! So that's the secret. Now I wonder if I can guess who she is. What do you say to the Princess Elvira of Tregong? I know his father had hopes in that direction." Hyacinth looked round at Coronel as if appealing for his support. He took a step towards her. "No, it's not the Princess Elvira," said Hyacinth, a little nervously. The King laughed good-humouredly. "Ah, well, you must tell me," he said. Hyacinth put out her hand, and Coronel pressed it encouragingly. "His Royal Highness Prince Udo," she said, "is marrying the Countess Belvane." CHAPTER XXI A SERPENT COMING AFTER UDO Belvane had now had twenty-four hours in which to think it over. Whatever her faults, she had a sense of humour. She could not help smiling to herself as she thought of that scene in the garden. However much she regretted her too hasty engagement, she was sure Udo regretted it still more. If she gave him the least opportunity he would draw back from it. Then why not give him the opportunity? "My dear Prince Udo, I'm afraid I mistook the nature of my feelings"--said, of course, with downcast head and a maidenly blush. Exit Udo with haste, enter King Merriwig. It would be so easy. Ah, but then Hyacinth would have won. Hyacinth had forced the engagement upon her; even if it only lasted for twenty-four hours, so long as it was a forced engagement, Hyacinth would have had the better of her for that time. But if she welcomed the engagement, if she managed in some way to turn it to account, to make it appear as if she had wanted it all the time, then Hyacinth's victory would be no victory at all, but a defeat. Marry Udo, then, as if willingly? Yes, but that was too high a price to pay. She was by this time thoroughly weary of him and besides, she had every intention of marrying the King of Euralia. To pretend to marry him until she brought the King in open conflict with him, and then having led the King to her feet to dismiss the rival who had served her turn--that was her only wise course.