choose to lead him. A
kind countryman returning from the city with an empty waggon gave the
odd pair a good lift, and took them along so rapidly that towards
evening they reached the shoemaker's cottage. Nono thought best to be
set down there, and he was hardly on the ground with Blackie beside him
when there was an impromptu concert of singing and scolding that
brought the inmates of the house at once to the door.

Of course the travellers were warmly welcomed. There was great
eagerness to hear Nono's adventures, and he was at once besieged with
all sorts of questions. When he had told his story, the shoemaker got
up and bowed respectfully to the absent princess, whom Nono had so
vividly described that she seemed actually standing there in the
cottage. "There be some good people left in high places!" exclaimed
honest Crispin. "It's of no use talking against the royal family while
such a princess is above ground." So some dim socialistic ideas that
had been troubling the mind of the poor shoemaker died a violent death,
and the warm loyalty of his youth took the upper hand.

Nono and Blackie were hospitably housed for the night, and treated
almost as if they were ambassadors from court, with a flavour of
royalty about them.

It is needless to tell with what joy the travellers were received the
next day at the golden house, or what rapid preparations were made for
Decima's departure. The princess should see that Jan and Karin were
prompt to avail themselves of her kindness.

Jan took an unusual holiday, and actually was for the first time in a
railroad car, with Decima cuddled close at his side.

Decima Desideria, who had a keen sense of her own fitness to come to
honour, really seemed to think the children's hospital had been
established for her special benefit, and that her presence there, and
the ado that had been made about her, were quite natural matters, with
which gratitude had very little connection. Once made mistress of one
of the little white beds, and surrounded by every comfort, her
arrogance and her exactions would probably have known no bounds, if she
had not wonderingly seen about her from day to day deformed children,
suffering children, and almost idiots, as tenderly cared for as
herself. It somehow came into her head to be thankful that she at
least had but to lie in her bed, without great pain, that she could
understand all that was said to her, and could even be learning to knit
and cr