A place was left in the centre of a large circle for the queen, and a beautiful deep-red dahlia was placed there for her throne. Then the pieces of linen cloth were brought up and arranged around the circle; and the silk with its glorious colors, looking so fair and lovely! There was a pretty little salver of the silver-poplar leaf, which the queen had told one to give to Zet'te that she might present the stockings upon it.

No Zet'te was to be seen, nor stockings either ; but it did not as yet matter much, as they would, at any rate, be the last things presented. All began to take their places, and they filled up pretty well the space in front: those behind kept looking anxiously towards Zet'te's bower to see her emerging from it.

The queen was expected every moment. Presently she came with her beautiful train of fairy nymphs and pages, and took her seat on the dahlia cushion. Then each brought up the work she had done. The queen praised especially the softness and transparency of the linen; and her approval of the silk was beyond all bounds. "A right

royal tissue it was," said she, " and fit for any princess in Fairyland."

While she was still looking and commenting so graciously upon it, a wee bustle was heard in the outer row; and, behold! there was Zet'te! Her stockings were on the salver; and they were making way for her to pass! She went through, and stood quietly waiting until the queen should bid her come forward. It was very fortunate that she had a minute to spare to compose herself; for she had become so heated and anxious! When the queen bade her, and she went up, they looked so pretty, the little flesh-colored gossamer things, on the little silver-like, pointed-edged salver! The queen was in ecstasies. She put her hands through, and they showed like the most exquisite lace-work, embroidered in sweetly fanciful figures: patterns of flowers ran up and down, beautifully intermingled.

But poor Zet'te had been almost worn out with the excessive labor; and very thankful was she and all the others that the queen gave them, after that, not only a week, but a whole fortnight, of holidays,

before they should make up into garments the materials they had manufactured.

Of course, when these were made, the queen shone as lovely and as brilliant in them as when we first saw her surrounded by her fairy-train in the beginning of this book.

CHAPTER XI.

A SPANISH TOUR.

THE fairy, Glassée, had not been willing, it is true, to relate more stories at that midsummer time than those which have been recounted, and which occupied but a week. But, as she was one of those elfin beings who can roam the world over, being sometimes in one place, and then as quick as thought darting off to another if they please, she had an ample store of knowledge in her fairy head, and might then have gone on and related many another tale had she been so disposed. Therefore, after the little bustle and commotion produced in preparing the queen's wardrobe, as was related in the last chapter, were over, and the long autumn holidays came on, you might have seen her as be

fore, many a time in the sunny afternoons, under some sheltering bush or shrub, with the stout-hearted Pebble and the inquisitive little Vial, and even the queen herself, often gathered around to listen. to a story.

The queen being a queen was too fond of obtaining intelligence (and it was very important for her too) not to improve every opportunity she had; and both Vial and Pebble had too great a love of hair-breadth escapes and daring adventures not to desire to hear of them as many as they could.

So, with the rest of the fairy troop all amusing themselves as they liked best, after the long and busy occupations they had been lately engaged in, or sometimes joining in the story-telling, just as they preferred, Glassée and her more inquisitive companions exercised their fairy brains again about the doings of people human beings—so all unlike themselves, of course. Probably they used their fairy wings too, and popped themselves down now and then in some far-away place, just as Queen Adèle had popped down into our garden