eg
to assure you I did not come here, but fell here, through that hole, if
you perceive, and very much against my will."

"Equivocation will not serve you in this case, sir," said the queen,
with an austere dignity. "And, allow me to observe, it is just probable
you would not have fallen through that hole in our royal ceiling if you
had kept away from it. You raised that flag yourself--did you not?"

"Madam, I fear I must say yes!"

"And why did you do so?" demanded her majesty, with far more sharp
asperity than Sir Norman dreamed could ever come from such beautiful
lips.

"The rumor of Queen Miranda's charms has gone forth; and I fear I must
own that rumor drew me hither," responded Sir Norman, inventing a polite
little work of fiction for the occasion; "and, let me add, that I came
to find that rumor had under-rated instead of exaggerated her majesty's
said charms."

Here Sir Norman, whose spine seemed in danger of becoming the shape of
a rainbow, in excess of good breeding, made another genuflection before
the queen, with his hand over the region of his heart. Miranda tried
to look grave, and wear that expression of severe solemnity I am told
queens and rich people always do; but, in spite of herself, a little
pleased smile rippled over her face; and, noticing it, and the bow and
speech, the prince suddenly and sharply set up such another screech of
laughter as no steamboat or locomotive, in the present age of steam,
could begin to equal in ghastliness.

"Will your highness have the goodness to hold your tongue?" inquired the
queen, with much the air and look of Mrs. Caudle, "and allow me to ask
this stranger a few questions uninterrupted? Sir Norman Kingsley, how
long have you been above there, listening and looking on?"

"Madame, I was not there five minutes when I suddenly, and to my great
surprise, found myself here."

"A lie!--a lie!" exclaimed the dwarf, furiously. "It is over two hours
since I met you at the bar of the Golden Crown."

"My dear little friend," said Sir Norman, drawing his sword, and
flourishing it within an inch of the royal nose, "just make that remark
again, and my sword will cleave your pretty head, as the cimetar of
Saladin clove the cushion of down! I earnestly assure you, madame, that
I had but just knelt down to look, when I discovered to my dismay, that
I was no longer there, but in your charming presence."

"In that case, my lords and gentlemen," said the queen, glancing bl