HUMPLESS 167

by side with the relic of antiquity to which
that case had previously been exclusively
devoted. The Prince, strange to say,
experienced no pain or discomfort whatever
during the removal of his hump, but when
he found himself standing up, straight-backed
and upright as ever mortal man stood
upon this earth, his rapture knew no
bounds.

Without an instant’s delay he clasped in
his arms the charming Princess who had
been the immediate instrument of his relief
from the burden with which his young life
had hitherto been troubled, and with tears
of love and gratitude streaming down his
face, renewed his vows of eternal fidelity.
The lovely Amarylla tenderly responded to
these advances. The wooing of these two
lovers had indeed been short, but where
mutual sympathy exists between two hearts,
its development is a certainty which may
arrive with greater or less rapidity according
to circumstances, but which can never be
long delayed when once the owners of those
hearts have come together. So Prince
Filderkin and-his Amarylla felt as if they
had known each other all their lives, and