im willingly, anxious to do him honour. But then he was so
happy and blissful himself that he found it easy to be at peace with all
the world. It was not long before he met the faithful Mousta, who was
coming at the top of his speed hoping to meet the Prince, that he might
tell him of the sudden and wonderful change that had come over the
Princess, who had become gentle and thoughtful and had talked to him of
nothing but Prince Mannikin, of the hardships she feared he might be
suffering, and of her anxiety for him, and all this with a hundred
tender expressions which put the finishing stroke to the Prince's
delight. Then came a courier bearing the congratulations of the King and
Queen, who had just heard of his successful return, and there was even a
graceful compliment from Sabella herself. The Prince sent Mousta back to
her, and he was welcomed with joy, for was he not her lover's present?

At last the travellers reached the capital, and were received with regal
magnificence. Farda-Kinbras and Birbantine embraced Prince Mannikin,
declaring that they regarded him as their heir and the future husband of
the Princess, to which he replied that they did him too much honour. And
then he was admitted into the presence of the Princess, who for the
first time in her life blushed as he kissed her hand, and could not find
a word to say. But the Prince, throwing himself on his knees beside her,
held out the splendid diamond, saying:

'Madam, this treasure is yours, since none of the dangers and
difficulties I have gone through have been sufficient to make me deserve
it.'

'Ah! Prince,' said she, 'if I take it, it is only that I may give it
back to you, since truly it belongs to you already.'

At this moment in came the King and Queen, and interrupted them by
asking all the questions imaginable, and not infrequently the same over
and over again. It seems that there is always one thing that is sure to
be said about an event by everybody, and Prince Mannikin found that the
question which he was asked by more than a thousand people on this
particular occasion was:

'And didn't you find it very cold?'

The King had come to request Prince Mannikin and the Princess to follow
him to the Council Chamber, which they did, not knowing that he meant to
present the Prince to all the nobles assembled there as his son-in-law
and successor. But when Mannikin perceived his intention, he begged
permission to speak first, and told his whole st