another, who was much younger than himself, besides being marvellously
beautiful."

"And of course she hated the poor Prince," said Ruby. "Stepmothers
always do in the stories."

"I have not said she hated him," said the Court Godmother, who did not
like her points to be anticipated. "On the contrary, she treated him
with every mark of affection, and was constantly bestowing on him gifts
of the costliest description. One day she presented him with a wondrous
mechanical horse, fiercer and more mettlesome than even the steeds that
are born in Maerchenland."

"Motor-bike, what," suggested Clarence sapiently.

"A mechanical horse is what I _said_," repeated the Fairy, "resembling
others in shape and beauty, but made of metal. Prince Chrysopras, being
a skilful and fearless horseman----"

"Indeed he was!" put in Mrs. Wibberley-Stimpson. "He used to ride
regularly in the Row, almost to the last. On 'Joggles,' such a dear
brown fat cob. He was one of what I believe was known as 'The Liver
Brigade' ... a fact which for some reason I can't pretend to fathom
seems to be causing you amusement, Miss Heritage."

Daphne, whose sense of humour was occasionally an inconvenience to her,
had certainly found the notion of a Fairy Prince in the Liver Brigade a
little too much for her gravity. However, she attributed her lapse to
the name of the horse.

"It was the name they gave it at the Livery Stables," said Mrs.
Wibberley-Stimpson. "And I really cannot see myself--but we are
interrupting this good lady here."

"You are," said the Fairy. "I was about to say that Prince Chrysopras
was greatly delighted by his Royal Stepmother's gift, and at once leapt
on the back of the strange steed."

"What I call asking for trouble," commented Clarence.

"_I_ know what happened!" Ruby struck in eagerly. "It flew right up into
the air with him, and poor Grandpapa fell off."

"If he had, none of you would be here at the moment," said the Fairy.
"Don't be in such a hurry, my child. He was much too good a rider to
fall off. But the horse flew up and up with him till both could no
longer be seen. The remains of the steed were found long afterwards on a
mountain top. But nothing more was ever seen of the Prince, who was
supposed to have perished in one of our lakes."

"Then he must have fallen off after all," insisted Ruby.

"No, no, Ruby," said her mother, with a sense that, where the credit of
her family was concerned, nothing was too imp