And the gentleman bowed. "You know best, Mrs. Hexer," he said. "There’s one more minute." The Queen waited to see what would happen. The seconds passed by, and the Queen’s heart beat. Then the gentleman tore the page out of his book, at the dotted line, and put the book in the bag. "By-the-bye," he said, "what’s become of the cat?" The Queen said, "It disappeared with the witch." The gentleman looked at his watch. "Time’s up, Mrs. Hexer," he said, as he put it back in his pocket. "By virtue of this document, signed by your blood——" "It isn’t my blood," the Queen said, when, all of a sudden, the hut vanished away over her head, and she found herself standing in the open air among the sand-dunes, amid a large crowd of people; whilst the two men, shepherd and prince, were lying tumbled on the sand, for the well on which they had been seated had disappeared. But the most astonishing thing was what happened to the gentleman in black, for he suddenly changed into a black demon and advanced roaring towards her, until something seemed to stop him, and he changed just as suddenly back into the gentleman that he had been before. "I see there has been some mistake," he said, bowing and placing his hand upon his heart. Then he knelt upon the ground. "Be mine! be mine!" he said. "Oh, most adorable maiden, be mine; marry me, and I will reform; I’ll give up smoking; I’ll never swear; I’ll—I’ll go to church—only marry me." "I can’t," the Queen said. "Don’t be ridiculous and kneel; I never let the Regents kneel." "You can marry me—you can," the gentleman said. "I can marry while I’m on earth. Of course, down below it’s different. But I’ll keep regular hours; I’ll be most respectable—I will, if you’ll only marry me." "I tell you I can’t," the Queen said; "I don’t know what I’ve done to make you go on in this ridiculous way." "It’s the elixir. You’ve been drinking it, you know," the demon gentleman said; "and so I can’t help it. But if you won’t marry me, madam, perhaps we can do a little business in my line. I pride myself that my system is the very best—the seven years’ purchase system, you know." "I don’t understand you at all," the Queen said. "Why, it’s very simple. You give me what I want, and I will re-erect for you the desirable family residence that stood here, with all its advantages—the delightfully secluded spot, the landscape, the well of pure water, and the fowl-house with its stock of geese. Come, let me fill you up a form." "Yes, but what do I have to do for it?" the Queen said. And he answered, "Oh, a mere trifle—only a formality." "But what _is_ it?" "Oh, you only give me your soul—it’s nothing at all." "_My soul!_" the Queen said. "Certainly not." "But I’ll make you rich," the gentleman said. "I’m quite rich enough already," the Queen answered. "I’ll make you powerful—make you a great queen." "I’m one already, thanks," the Queen said. "I’ll give you a broom that you can fly on," the gentleman remarked.