"I see," he said, "that you are appalled by the difficulty of the ordeal in front of you. You may well be so. You have known his Royal Highness longer than I have, but even in our short acquaintance I have discovered that he takes a hint with extraordinary slowness. To bring it home to him with the right mixture of tact and insistence that Araby needs his immediate presence--alone--may well tax the most serpentine of minds." "I can but try it," said the serpentine one simply. The King jumped up and shook him warmly by the hand. "You think you can do it?" he said excitedly. "If Prince Udo does not start back to Araby to-morrow----" "Alone," said Merriwig. "Alone--then I shall have failed in my task." * * * * * "My dear," said the King to his daughter as she kissed him good-night that evening, "I believe you are going to marry a very wise young man." "Of course I am, Father." "I only hope you'll be as happy with him as I shall be with--as I was with your mother. Though how he's going to bring it off," he added to himself, "is more than I can think." CHAPTER XXII THE SEVENTEEN VOLUMES GO BACK AGAIN King Merriwig of Eastern Euralia sat at breakfast on his castle walls. He lifted the gold cover from the gold dish in front of him, selected a trout, and conveyed it carefully to his gold plate. When you have an aunt---- But I need not say that again. King Coronel of Western Euralia sat at breakfast on _his_ castle walls. He lifted the gold cover from the gold dish in front of him, selected a trout, and conveyed it carefully to his gold plate. When your wife's father has an aunt---- Prince Udo of Araby sat at breakfast---- But one must draw the line somewhere. I refuse to follow Udo through any more meals. Indeed, I think there has been quite enough eating and drinking in this book already. Quite enough of everything in fact; but the time has nearly come to say good-bye. Let us speed the Prince of Araby first. His departure from Euralia was sudden; five minutes' conversation with Coronel convinced him that there had been a mistake about Belvane's feelings for him, and that he could leave for Araby in perfect safety. "You must come and see us again," said Merriwig heartily, as he shook him by the hand. "Yes, do," said Hyacinth. There are two ways of saying this sort of thing, and theirs was the second way. So was Udo's, when he answered that he would be delighted. It was just a week later that the famous double wedding was celebrated in Euralia. As an occasion for speech-making by King Merriwig and largesse-throwing by Queen Belvane it demanded and (got) a whole chapter to itself in Roger's History. I have Roger on my side at last. The virtues he denied to the Countess he cannot but allow to the Queen.