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355 THE QUEEN'S TRIPLETS. 355

wrong Prince, or the reverse, before the rightful heir was discovered. The King said she would not arrive in the city till next year. This also is true. As thou didst rightly ob- serve, the Tower of Telifonia is situated in the suburbs. The King did not bargain for my discovering that a beauti- ful woman lived in its topmost turret."

" Nay, how couldst thou discover that? The King did not lend thee the magic car, and thou certainly couldst not see her at that height without the magic glass ! "

" I have not seen her. But through the embrasure i often saw the sunlight flashing and leaping like a thing of life, and I knew it was what the children call a i Johnny Noddy.' Now a 'Johnny Noddy' argueth a mirror, and a mirror argueth a woman, and frequent use thereof argueth a beautiful woman. So, when in the Presence Chamber the King told us of his dilemma as to the hand of the Princess of Paphlagonia, it instantly dawned upon me who the beau- tiful woman was, and why the King was keeping her hidden away, and why he had hidden away his meaning also. Wherefore straightway I asked for a pigeon, knowing that the pigeons of the town roost on the Tower of Telifonia, so that I had but to fly my bird at the end of a long string like a kite to establish communication between me and the fair captive. In time my little messenger grew so used to the journey to and fro that I could dispense with the string. Our courtship has been most satisfactory. We love each other ardentlv, and — "

" But you have never seen each other ! " interrupted the Black Prince.

" Thou forgettest we are both royal personages," said the Blue Prince in astonished reproof.

" But this is gross treachery — what right hadst thou to make these underhand advances in our absence?"