lear to Stephanos, but he
conveyed the Queen's request for a baby.

Stephanos' answer was translated thus:

"Every baby from three years old and under shall be laid at the white
feet of the English lady and she shall take them all. There are five
such on the island. They are hers."

Stephanos turned while his speech was being translated, and addressed
his people. Apparently they were quite prepared to fulfil the promise
he had made on their behalf. Five smiling young women with babies in
their arms detached themselves from the crowd. They mounted two steps
and then stood, with bowed heads, waiting for the next command.

"The darlings," said the Queen. "But I don't want them all laid at my
feet. They'd be sure to roll away and fall into the sea. Tell them
to-morrow will be time enough, and--and I'd like mothers to come too.
I'm not sure that I could manage a baby all by myself."

She did not wait for Smith to translate this speech. She ran down the
steps to where the five young women stood. She took one of the babies
in her arms. She kissed another. The women stood round her, smiling
shyly. The babies cooed and gurgled. She kissed them all, and took
them one after another in her arms. She sat down on the steps and laid
a crowing baby on her lap. The mothers smiled and drew nearer to her.
Other women from the crowd below gathered round her. Their shyness
disappeared completely, too completely. They stroked her hair. They
patted her face and hands. They were filled with curiosity about her
clothes. They felt the texture of her dress, fingered the brooch she
wore, knelt down and took her feet into their hands that they might
examine her shoes. They explored the clocks on her stockings. Miss
Daisy--no queen for the moment--was seriously embarrassed. She jumped
to her feet, thrust the baby she held into its mother's arms.

"You mustn't pull my clothes off altogether," she said.

She smoothed her skirt down with her hands and brushed exploring
fingers from her blouse. But the island women were not easily
repulsed. They were ready to give their babies to her if she asked for
them. They would not forgo if they could help it the delight of
examining new and fascinating kinds of clothes. Miss Daisy--still Miss
Daisy, not a queen--burst from them and ran, with tossed hair and
ruffled garments, up the steps again.

"Oh, Smith," she said, "tell them that they mustn't do it. I'm sure
they don't mean any harm, but I can't bear