1 THE LOST PRINCE. 15

 

feet high, or anything near it, and although he held
himself as upright as possible, nobody could have
complimented him upon his height, except those who,
for reasons of their own, prefer short men to tall.
Upon his head he had a small close-fitting velvet cap,
his coat was ofa bright green with enormous brown
buttons, upon which were carved the figures of various
woodland animals ; similar buttons also adorned his
buff waistcoat, whilst his lower members were incased
in thick cord breeches, with leather gaiters overtopping
highly polished boots. In his hand he held a spud
nearly as tall as himself, and this he swung to and fro
as he sat upon the large root of a tree in the midst of
some ornamental rockwork exactly opposite the bench
upon which Her Majesty was sitting.

As soon as this strange individual perceived that
the Queen had seen him and fixed her eyes upon him
with great surprise, he calmly nodded at her, and
again repeated the words, ‘Why not?’ after which
he apparently waited for an answer to his question.

This, however, it was scarcely possible for the
Queen to give: the only reason ‘why’ she feared she
would never see her son again was that he was most
likely dead or carried to some remote region of
the earth, or else he would surely have been heard of
before nine years had expired since his first dis-
appearance. But to the good mother’s heart hope
was immediately conveyed by the words of the little
man, and not only could she give no reason why she
should not see her son again, but the probability of
her doing so instantly suggested itself to her mind,
and a thrill of joy darted at once to her very soul.