"Then give it back to her when you see her next. I am glad you are frank, Jaqueline. And you know, of course, that the drops are not ordinary silver? They are moon silver, and that can only be got in one way, so far as I know, at least--when one spills the water when he, or she, is drinking the moon. Now, there is only one book which tells how that can be done, and there is only one reason for doing it; namely, to find out what is some other person's secret. I shall not ask you _whose_ secret you wanted to find out, but I must request you never to do such a thing again without consulting me. You can have no reason for it, such as a great king might have whose enemies are plotting against his country." "Oh, sire, I will tell you everything!" cried Jaqueline. "No, don't; I don't want to know. I am sure you will make no use of your information which you think I should not approve of. But there is another thing--that eclipse of the moon! Oh, Jaqueline, was it honourable, or fair to the astronomers and men of science, to say nothing about it? Their European reputations are seriously injured." Poor Jaqueline could only cry. "Never mind," said his Majesty, comforting her. "There is no great harm done yet, and perhaps they would not believe you if you did explain; but just think, if some people ceased to believe in Science, what would they have left to believe in? But you are young, of course, and cannot be expected to think of everything." "I never thought about it at all," wept Jaqueline. "'Evil is wrought by want of thought,'" said the king, quoting the poet. "Now run away, dry your tears, and I think you had better bring me that book, and I'll put it back in one of the locked-up shelves. Later, when you are older, we shall see about it." The princess flew to her room, and returned with her book. And the king kissed her, and told her to go and see if her Majesty meant to take a drive. "I'll never deceive him again, never . . . unless it is _quite_ necessary," said the princess to herself. "Indeed, it is not so easy to deceive the king. What a lot he has read!" In fact, King Prigio had been very studious when a young man, before he came to the throne. "Poor child!" thought the king. "No doubt she was trying her fortune, wondering if Ricardo cares for her a little. Of course I could not let her tell me _that_, poor child!" In this guess, as we know, his Majesty was mistaken, which seldom happened to him.