"What did I tell you?" cried Violet, and "What did I tell you?" echoed Daffodil, while all with much timidity examined the green, mottled shell that lay in halves upon the ground. "That was the horrid thing we saw in the clock." "Well, never mind now," said Queen Titania, with a sigh of relief. "The monster will not trouble us again." In spite of what the queen said, Florimel was not so sure that they would have no more trouble, since he had seen the wraith-like Red Spirit fly from the shell of the Human Octopus off into the air. [Illustration] Somewhere he feared this strange, evil being lurked to wreak further harm. Not wishing to cause uneasiness to Queen Titania, however, he said never a word. Then Brownies and fairies mingled together in happy, joyous mood. But Florimel and Titania withdrew from all the rest, and had eyes only for each other. "I think I can guess how all this is going to end," said the Policeman to the Sailor, in a voice that showed great resentment. "Avast, you lubber!" sharply reproved the Sailor. "Now what d'ye mean?" "I mean that Florimel has fallen in love with the queen, and will marry her." "How can he? Florimel is a Brownie, and Brownies never marry." "But Florimel is not a real Brownie. He's only been taken into the band. Just look at them now!" The Sailor cocked his eye to where Florimel was bending over Titania, with his head very close to hers. "Shiver my timbers!" he cried. "They do look orange-blossomy!" [Illustration] Noting the impression Queen Titania was making upon Prince Florimel, Dame Drusilda determined to exercise her arts upon the immaculate little Dude, with whom she was very much taken. "I hear," she remarked to the Student, "that he is connected with the best families." "Yes," he replied, rather enviously, "he sometimes is by telephone." But as soon as she could do so she joined the group in which the Dude held forth vivaciously, and when opportunity presented itself contrived to say: "Ah, sir, in your pretty ways you remind me of the gallants of old times!" "You must be able to remember quite far back," he said, as he looked at her through his monocle. "Forsooth, kind sir," she hastened to say, "I only speak through hearsay. What I know my great-grandmother told my grandmother, who told my mother, who in turn told me. As you can plainly see I am different from other fairies. They call me a beauty of the old school." "Hasn't school been out a good many years?" he asked. "I fail to comprehend you," she said, with a blush. "Mayhap you are not susceptible to beauty. Yet I have heard it often remarked that a beautiful woman can make the strongest man go down on his knees." The Dude gave his cuffs an admiring glance. "So can a collar-button!" he said.