Then in came Her Majesty, a very proper dignified gracious Queen—none of your seventeen–year–old chits. Bowing condescendingly from side to side she made her way to the Throne, and with a sweep of her train she sat down.
Courtiers were presented to her; representatives from foreign countries; Prince Hanspatch of Tregong, Prince Ulric, the Duke of Highanlow.
"Ah, my dear Prince Hanspatch," she cried, stretching out her hand to the right of her; "and you, dear Prince Ulric," with a graceful movement of the left arm towards him; "and, dear Duke, you also!" Her right hand, which Prince Hanspatch had by now finished with, went out to the Duke of Highanlow that he too might kiss it.
But it was arrested in mid–air. She felt rather than saw that the Princess was watching her in amazement from the doorway.
Without looking round she stretched out again first one arm and then the other. Then, as if she had just seen the Princess, she jumped up in a pretty confusion.
"Oh, your Royal Highness," she cried, "you caught me at my physical exercises!" She gave a self–conscious little laugh. "My physical exercises—a forearm movement." Once again she stretched out her arm. "Building up the—er—building up—building up―"
Her voice died away, for the Princess still looked coldly at her.
"Charming, Countess," she said. "I am sorry to interrupt you, but I have some news for you. You will like to know that I am inviting Prince Udo of Araby here on a visit. I feel we want a little outside help in our affairs."
"Prince Udo?" cried the Countess. "Here?"
"Have you any objection?" said Hyacinth. She found it easier to be stern now, for the invitation had already been sent off by the hand of the King's Messenger. Nothing that the Countess could say could influence her.
"No objection, your Royal Highness; but it seems so strange. And then the expense! Men are such hearty eaters. Besides," she looked with a charming smile from the Princess to Wiggs, "we were all getting on so nicely together! Of course if he just dropped in for afternoon tea one day―"
"He will make a stay of some months, I hope." There were no wizards in Barodia, and therefore the war would be a long one. It was this which had decided Hyacinth.
"Of course," said Belvane, "whatever your Royal Highness wishes, but I do think that His Majesty―"
"My dear Countess," said Hyacinth, with a smile, "the invitation has already gone, so there's nothing more to be said, is there? Had you finished your exercises? Yes? Then, Wiggs, will you conduct her ladyship downstairs?"
She turned and left her. The Countess watched her go, and then stood tragically in the middle of the room, clasping her diary to her breast.
"This is terrible!" she said. "I feel years older." She held out her diary at arm's length and said in a gloomy voice, "What an entry for to–morrow!" The thought cheered her up a little. She began to consider plans. How could she circumvent this terrible young man who was going to put them all in their places. She wished that―
All at once she remembered something.
"Wiggs," she said, "what was it I heard you saying to the Princess about a wish?"
"Oh, that's my ring," said Wiggs eagerly. "If you've been good for a whole day you can have a good wish. And my wish is that―"
"A wish!" said Belvane to herself. "Well, I wish that―" A sudden thought struck her. "You said that you had to be good for a whole day first?"
"Yes."
Belvane mused.
"I wonder what they mean by good," she said.
"Of course," explained Wiggs, "if you've been bad for a whole day you can have a bad wish. But I should hate to have a bad wish, wouldn't you?"
"Simply hate it, child," said Belvane. "Er—may I have a look at that ring?"
"Here it is," said Wiggs; "I always wear it round my neck."
The Countess took it from her.
"Listen," she said. "Wasn't that the Princess calling you? Run along, quickly, child." She almost pushed her from the room and closed the door on her.
Alone again, she paced from end to end of the great chamber, her left hand nursing her right elbow, her chin in her right hand.
"If you are good for a day," she mused, "you can have a good wish. If you are bad for a day you can have a bad wish. Yesterday I drew ten thousand pieces of gold for the Army; the actual expenses were what I paid—what I owe Woggs…. I suppose that is what narrow–minded people call being bad…. I suppose this Prince Udo would call it bad…. I suppose he thinks he will marry the Princess and throw me into prison." She flung her head back proudly. "Never!"
Standing in the middle of the great Throne Room, she held the ring up in her two hands and wished.
"I wish," she said, and there was a terrible smile in her eyes, "I wish that something very—very humorous shall happen to Prince Udo on his journey."
Chapter VIII
Prince Udo Sleeps Badly
Everybody likes to make a good impression on his first visit, but there were moments just before his arrival in Euralia when Prince Udo doubted whether the affair would go as well as he had hoped. You shall hear why.
He had been out hunting with his friend, the young Duke Coronel, and was returning to the Palace when Hyacinth's messenger met him. He took the letter from him, broke the seals, and unrolled it.
"Wait a moment, Coronel," he said to his friend. "This is going to be an adventure of some sort, and if it's an adventure I shall want you with me."
"I'm in no hurry," said Coronel, and he got off his horse and gave it into the care of an attendant. The road crossed a stream here. Coronel sat up on the little stone bridge and dropped pebbles idly into the water.
The Prince read his letter.
Plop … Plop … Plop … Plop …
The Prince looked up from his letter.
"How many days' journey is it to Euralia?" he asked Coronel.
"How long did it take the messenger to come?" answered Coronel, without looking up. (Plop.)
"I might have thought of that myself," said Udo, "only this letter has rather upset me." He turned to the messenger. "How long has it―?"
"Isn't the letter dated?" said Coronel. (Plop.)
Udo paid no attention to this interruption and finished his question to the messenger.
"A week, sire."
"Ride on to the castle and wait for me. I shall have a message for you."
"What is it?" said Coronel, when the messenger had gone. "An adventure?"
"I think so. I think we may call it that, Coronel."
"With me in it?"
"Yes, I think you will be somewhere in it."
Coronel stopped dropping his pebbles and turned to the Prince.
"May I hear about it?"
Udo help out the letter; then feeling that a lady's letter should be private, drew it back again. He prided himself always on doing the correct thing.
"It's from Princess Hyacinth of Euralia," he said; "she doesn't say much. Her father is away fighting, and she is alone and she is in some trouble or other. It ought to make rather a good adventure."
Coronel turned away and began to drop his pebbles into the stream again.
"Well, I wish you luck," he said. "If it's a dragon, don't forget that―"
"But you're coming, too," said Udo, in dismay. "I must have you with me."
"Doing what?"
"What?"
"Doing what?" said Coronel again.
"Well," said Prince Udo awkwardly, "er—well, you—well."
He felt that it was a silly question for Coronel to have asked. Coronel knew perfectly well what he would be doing all the time. In Udo's absence he would be telling Princess Hyacinth stories of his Royal Highness's matchless courage and wisdom. An occasional discussion also with the Princess upon the types of masculine beauty, leading up to casual mention of Prince Udo's own appearance, would be quite in order. When Prince Udo was present Coronel would no doubt find the opportunity of drawing Prince Udo out, an opportunity of which a stranger could not so readily avail himself.