house.
He is out in the back parlor asleep on the sofa, this minute. Brother,
dear brother, come here a second, I pray!"

With that a Maltese prince, with a long, aristocratic face, and
beautiful, serious eyes, entered with a slow and stately tread. He was
dressed in gray velvet, like his sister, and he wore white velvet
mittens. Dorothy courtesied very low.

"Yes, I found my brother here, some time ago," said the princess; "but I
have very little hope of freeing him from his enchantment. You see,
there is only one thing that can break the spell: one of his mistresses
must drive him out of the house with the broom, and I do not believe
that either of them ever will--they are so exceedingly gracious and
kind. I have tried to induce my brother to commit some little sin--to
steal some cream or some meat, or to fly around the room as if he were
in a fit (I myself have shown him how to do that), but he will not
consent. He has too much dignity, and he is too fond of these ladies.
And, if he should, I doubt if he would be driven out with the
broom--they are so kind."

The princess sighed. The prince stood looking in a grave and stately
manner at Dorothy, but he did not speak. "However," the princess
continued, cheerfully, "we do very well here, and in some respects this
is a more enlightened country than either Persia or Malta, and it is a
privilege to live here. The ladies are very kind to us, and we are very
fond of them; then, too, we see very fine company. And there are also
Persian hangings and rugs which make it seem home-like. We are very well
contented. I don't know, on the whole, that we are in any hurry to go
away. But should either of the ladies ever take it into her head to
drive my brother out of the house with the broom, we shall at once leave
the country for Persia and Malta; for, after all, one's native land is
dear."

The princess stopped talking, and began to hum her Persian song, and
then the ladies entered the room. They greeted Dorothy kindly; then they
began to call, "Vashti, Vashti, come here, pretty Vashti," and, "Muff,
Muff, come here, pretty Muff." For they did not see the Persian
princess and the Maltese prince, but two beautiful cats, whose names
were Vashti and Muff.

"Just hear Vashti purr," said one of the ladies. "Come here, pretty
Vashti, and try your new cushion."

And the ladies saw a cat sitting on the rich cushion, and another cat
looking at her gravely, while Dorothy saw a Persian