"Oh, my dear," she murmured to her chief lady-in-waiting as she bustled lightly up the aisle, "I've had such a time. It was a charming wedding. The tinned-salmon was delicious, and there were winkles--and gin. I only just tasted the gin, of course, for luck, you know, but really it was very good. I had no idea--And there was a real barrel-organ, and we danced in the street. The bride had the most lovely ostrich feathers. The bridegroom was a perfect dear. I kissed him: I kissed everyone, I think. We all did ... Now what about this baby?" For by this time they had reached that part of the church where the ceremony was taking place. "I suppose you've already given her most of the nice things?" The lady-in-waiting rapidly enumerated the fairy-gifts which the fairies had bestowed upon the child. The Queen looked at the baby. "What a darling!" she said; "I must give her something very nice." She hovered a moment over the child's head, "She shall marry the man of her choice," she said, "and live happily ever after." There was a little stir among the fairies. The lady-in-waiting laid her hand on the Queen's arm. "I'm afraid Your Majesty has forgotten," she said; "this is a Royal Baby." "Well," said the Queen, "what of that?" "You know we rather make it a rule not to interfere in these matters in the case of Royalty," said the lady-in-waiting. "We generally leave it to the family. You see they usually prefer to make their own arrangements. There are reasons. We can give a great deal, but we can't do _everything_. Besides, it would hardly be fair. They have so many advantages--" The Fairy Queen looked round at all the people who were assembled in the church; she had indeed forgotten for the moment what a very important occasion this was. Then she looked at the baby. "I don't care," she said, "I don't care. She's a darling, and she _shall_ marry the man of her heart. I'm sure it will be someone nice. You'll see, it'll be all right." She kissed the baby's forehead, and the little Princess opened wide her blue eyes and smiled. Several people; noticed it. "Did you see the baby smile at the Bishop?" they said to one another afterwards. But then, you see, nobody but the baby could see the Fairy Queen. The other fairies were still a little perturbed. They shook their heads doubtfully and whispered to one another as they floated out of the church. It wasn't done. "If only she had made it a King's son," the chief lady-in-waiting muttered to herself. "That would have made it so much better. But 'the man of her choice'--so very vague." The Fairy Queen, however, was quite happy. She laughed at the solemn faces of her retinue. "You'll see," she repeated, "it will be quite all right." And she flew gaily off to Fairyland. * * * * *