Highness Prince Ian of Vaucluse.

PRINCE

My brother? Here? But my brother is dead! Where can you have imagined
to have seen my brother?

PHEDRO

[_Approaches GWYMPLANE making him a low bow._]

Prince Ian of Vaucluse.

[_GWYMPLANE, as if he saw madness, loses the nervous control of
his features by which he can efface his terrible grin, and his
face grows convulsed with it._]

QUEEN [_regarding him and laughing shrilly_]

Here is some monstrous joke devised by Phedro. Why, Josephine, if this
were true, then he--the clown--would be your fiance, nor have a right
to reject you, since sharing in your rather disreputable offence. Ah,
what folly! [_she places her hand upon her heart, gazing at PRINCE
CHARLES_] But how I would like to credit the wildest phantasy tonight.

[_The DUCHESS is looking on disdainfully as if witnessing rather
a boring farce._]

PHEDRO [_looking intensely at the QUEEN_]

When the thing that we have longed for comes true, it may sound like
madness. I have every credential to prove my extraordinary
announcement.

QUEEN

[_Looking whimsically from one to another._]

Ah, let us suppose for a moment, Josephine, that this were true.
Surely you would be happy in a marriage so fortified by natural
selection, and, as for Charles--the loss of certain things might be
replaced by others.

[_She gazes at him tenderly._]

DUCHESS

[_In a sudden outburst of confusion and ennui._]

We are all gone mad. I feel as if we were in a web. I marry with a
clown--the clown a lord--the lord a deformity. [_She shudders_]

GWYMPLANE

O, I cannot stand this hellish whirl another instant. It is biting my
ankles off and blinding my eyes in a red sting of madness.

[_He attempts to throw open the door. PHEDRO swiftly forestalls
him with widespread arms and a grim expression; GWYMPLANE turns
away bowed from his ferocity of pain and bewilderment, while
PHEDRO, with an incredible, greased swiftness, lets himself out
the door, and returns almost upon the instant with DEA terrified,
supported on his arm._]

PHEDRO [_turning suavely to DEA_]

My dear young lady, calm yourself. Where is the letter?

[_DEA takes it from her breast. GWYMPLANE looks at the letter in
agonized amazement._]

DEA

You said I was to give it to the Queen.

PHEDRO

You are in the presence of her Majesty.

[_DEA makes a low curtsey, and h