The Midnight Queen - Page 79/177

Her tone was neither very sweet nor suave; but it was much pleasanter

to be cross-examined by the owner of such a pretty face than by the ugly

little monster, for the moment gasping and extinguished; and Sir Norman

turned to her with alacrity, and a bow.

"Madame, I am Sir Norman Kingsley, very much at your service; and I beg

to assure you I did not come here, but fell here, through that hole, if

you perceive, and very much against my will."

"Equivocation will not serve you in this case, sir," said the queen,

with an austere dignity. "And, allow me to observe, it is just probable

you would not have fallen through that hole in our royal ceiling if you

had kept away from it. You raised that flag yourself--did you not?"

"Madam, I fear I must say yes!"

"And why did you do so?" demanded her majesty, with far more sharp

asperity than Sir Norman dreamed could ever come from such beautiful

lips.

"The rumor of Queen Miranda's charms has gone forth; and I fear I must

own that rumor drew me hither," responded Sir Norman, inventing a polite

little work of fiction for the occasion; "and, let me add, that I came

to find that rumor had under-rated instead of exaggerated her majesty's

said charms."

Here Sir Norman, whose spine seemed in danger of becoming the shape of

a rainbow, in excess of good breeding, made another genuflection before

the queen, with his hand over the region of his heart. Miranda tried

to look grave, and wear that expression of severe solemnity I am told

queens and rich people always do; but, in spite of herself, a little

pleased smile rippled over her face; and, noticing it, and the bow and

speech, the prince suddenly and sharply set up such another screech of

laughter as no steamboat or locomotive, in the present age of steam,

could begin to equal in ghastliness.

"Will your highness have the goodness to hold your tongue?" inquired the

queen, with much the air and look of Mrs. Caudle, "and allow me to ask

this stranger a few questions uninterrupted? Sir Norman Kingsley, how

long have you been above there, listening and looking on?"

"Madame, I was not there five minutes when I suddenly, and to my great

surprise, found myself here."

"A lie!--a lie!" exclaimed the dwarf, furiously. "It is over two hours

since I met you at the bar of the Golden Crown."

"My dear little friend," said Sir Norman, drawing his sword, and

flourishing it within an inch of the royal nose, "just make that remark

again, and my sword will cleave your pretty head, as the cimetar of

Saladin clove the cushion of down! I earnestly assure you, madame, that

I had but just knelt down to look, when I discovered to my dismay, that

I was no longer there, but in your charming presence."