_The Princess Dorobel placed her arm around the shoulder of Bojohn her son. She was radiant in a white evening gown, and she wore pearls in her hair._ _“Never mind, my dear,” said she,_ “I’d _like to hear a story.”_ _“And father too!” said Bojohn. “Come along, both of you!”_ _The Princess Dorobel put her arm in her husband’s, and hurried him away after the two boys, who were already going out at the door._ _They followed the boys through dark halls and up a staircase into the northeast tower, and stopped, all four, before the door of Solario’s room. Prince Bojohn knocked, and a voice from within bade them enter._ [Illustration: Mortimer the Executioner was being measured by Solario for a suit] _Mortimer the Executioner, seven feet tall and vast as a hogshead around the middle, was standing in his shirt sleeves beside the table, and before him stood Solario on a chair, measuring him with a tape. On the table lay a pile of cloth, with shears, chalk, needles, thread, and wax._ _Solario jumped down from his chair and bowed. He was plainly in high good humor._ _“Be seated, be seated, I pray you,” he cried, bringing up chairs in a hurry. “This is a great honor; a very great honor indeed. You see me in the midst of my-- Pray be seated. Will you excuse me while I note down the shoulder measurement?” He bent over the table, and jotted down some figures in a book. “Mortimer,” said he, “you may go now. We will continue our labors in the morning.”_ _Mortimer, in confusion, hastily put on his coat, which caused a couple of white mice to jump from his pockets and run up his sleeves._ _“Don’t go,” said the Princess Dorobel. “We are about to ask our good friend Solario for a story, and I am sure you would like to hear it.”_ _“Yes,” said Prince Bilbo, “we have come to hear another story, if you will be good enough to--”_ _“The story of Montesango’s Cave!” cried both boys, together._ _“Or the Roving Griffin!” cried Bojohn._ _“Or the Blind Giant!” cried Bodkin._ _“If you will pardon me,” said Solario, “I think that it would please Prince Bilbo and the Princess better, perhaps, to hear the story told me by the Black Prince on the memorable night when--”_ _“Don’t forget,” said Bodkin, “we want to hear about the old man with the shaggy eyebrows, who got the golden chain away from the goldsmith’s son.”_ _“I will tell you,” said Solario, “about the old man and about the Black Prince at the same time.”_ _“We know nothing,” said Prince Bilbo, “about any old man with shaggy eyebrows.”_ _“I’ll tell you, father!” said Bojohn; and he told what he knew. “Now then!” he said to Solario. “Please go on!”_ _Solario the tailor seated himself cross-legged on his table, and the others drew up their chairs before him in a row._ _“Has the old man with the shaggy eyebrows,” said Prince Bilbo, “something to do with the Black Prince?”_