For a moment the king was tempted; but then he said to himself: "Never mind, it's only an extra penny on the income-tax." Then, "Keep your dross," he shouted, meaning the million; "but let _me_ keep my promise. To chapel at once, or--" and he pointed to the executioner. "The word of a king of Pantouflia is sacred." "And so is that of a crown prince," answered Prigio; "and _mine_ is pledged to a lady." "She shall be a mourning bride," cried the king savagely, "unless"--here he paused for a moment--"unless you bring me back Alphonso and Enrico, safe and well!" The prince thought for the space of a flash of lightning. "I accept the alternative," he said, "if your majesty will grant me my conditions." "Name them!" said the king. "Let me be transported to Gluckstein, left there unguarded, and if, in three days, I do not return with my brothers safe and well, your majesty shall be spared a cruel duty. Prigio of Pantouflia will perish by his own hand." The king, whose mind did not work very quickly, took some minutes to think over it. Then he saw that by granting the prince's conditions, he would either recover his dear sons, or, at least, get rid of Prigio, without the unpleasantness of having him executed. For, though some kings have put their eldest sons to death, and most have wished to do so, they have never been better loved by the people for their Roman virtue. "Honour bright?" said the king at last. "Honour bright!" answered the prince, and, for the first time in many months, the royal father and son shook hands. "For you, madam," said Prigio in a stately way to Lady Molinda, "in less than a week I trust we shall be taking our vows at the same altar, and that the close of the ceremony which finds us cousins will leave us brother and sister." Poor Molinda merely stared; for she could not imagine what he meant. In a moment he was gone; and having taken, by the king's permission, the flying carpet, he was back at the ambassador's house in Gluckstein. CHAPTER XVII. _The Black Cat and the Brethren_! Who was glad to see the prince, if it was not Lady Rosalind? The white roses of her cheeks turned to red roses in a moment, and then back to white again, they were so alarmed at the change. So the two went into the gardens together, and talked about a number of things; but at last the prince told her that, before three days were over, all would be well, or all would be over with him. For either he would have brought his brothers back, sound and well, to Falkenstein, or he would not survive his dishonour. "It is no more than right," he said; "for had I gone first, neither of them would have been sent to meet the monster after I had fallen. And I _should_ have fallen, dear Rosalind, if I had faced the Firedrake before I knew _you_."