Rather a neat thing; drew it up myself," added his majesty.
"Very much to the point," said the ambassador, wondering what the king was coming to.
"Glad you like it," said the king, much pleased.

"Well, where was I?
Oh, yes; your man said he had killed the creature in a garden, quite near Gluckstein.

I didn't much like the whole affair: he is an alien, you see; and then there was my niece, Molinda--poor girl, _she_ was certain to give trouble.

Her heart is buried, if I may say so, with poor Alphonso.

But the queen is a very remarkable woman--very remarkable--" "Very!" said the Ambassador, with perfect truth.
"'Caitiff!' she cries to your butler;" his majesty went on, "'perjured knave, thou liest in thy throat! Gluckstein is a hundred leagues from here, and how sayest thou that thou slewest the monster, and camest hither in a few hours' space ?' This had not occurred to me,--I am a plain king, but I at once saw the force of her majesty's argument.