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48 The Great Man laughed. "I am afraid you have me there; at least, I mean, I suppose you are right," said he, leaning back in his chair and regarding the Princess Iris with twinkling eyes. "I don't look my part. But, then, I am not performing now myself. We are in the same boat—that is—"

"Oh, you needn't bother to explain," said the small girl, "I understand slang. Only I don't talk it myself, now, except when I forget, because the Queen doesn't like it."

"So there is a queen, too, is there?" said the Great Man, the merry lines around his blue eyes growing deeper. "Dear me, we shall soon have the entire royal family."

"Yes, there is a queen, and she is not to be laughed at," said the child gravely." In fact, it's partly about her I've come. I—I wanted an audience."

"Well, really," said the man nervously, "I should like to accommodate you, but"—looking at his watch—"my train leaves in about one minute, and I don't see exactly how I can."

"Oh, my!" said the small girl, "can't you even make your own train wait while a princess talks to you?"

"Well, since you put it that way, I suppose I can," said the Great Man, pressing an electric button. Then, as the black porter appeared, listened deferentially to his whispered order and glided out again, the royal personage continued:

"Very likely I don't get half the fun out of being a king that I might. You see, I sometimes forget the extent of my power."

"Ah! yes, that's the very thing I've come to speak to you about," said the child. "I—I hope you will excuse me if I hurt your feelings," she went on gently, "but sometimes it's necessary, you know."

Upon her hearer's assurance that he would endeavor to bear up under censure, the small girl continued:

"It's like this: I s'pose you've such a big kingdom you don't get a chance to straighten out all the things that go wrong."

"And something has gone wrong, now, has it?"

"Yes, as wrong as can be. But," reassuringly, "of course I understand you couldn't have known about it. It's the train to Washita. It was put down on the time-table, you know, to go at four this afternoon, and we all came down to the station to get it.