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A Toy Princess

seated near him, as he was always glad of her help and advice.

“You find us,” said his Majesty, “just about to resign our sceptre into younger and more vigorous hands ; in fact, we think we are growing too old to reign, and mean to abdicate in favour of our dear daughter, who will reign in our stead.”

“Before you do any such thing,” said Taboret, “just let me have a little private conversation with you;” and she led the King into a corner, much to his surprise and alarm.

In about half an hour he returned to the council, looking very white, and with a dreadful expression on his face, whilst he held a hand- kerchief to his eyes.

“My lords,” he faltered, “pray pardon our apparently extraordinary behaviour. We have just received a dreadful blow; we hear on authority, which we cannot doubt, that our dear, dear daughter”—here sobs choked his voice, and he was almost unable to proceed—“is—is—in fact, not our daughter at all, and only a sham.” Here the King sank back in his chair, overpowered with grief, and the fairy Taboret, stepping to

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