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The Wicked World.
293

"Well," said the Fairy Queen to the other fairies, "here I am, safe and sound. Why, how cross you all look!"

"If we had known that we were to have had the pleasure of the society of these two gentlemen we would have prepared a larger cloud," said Fairy Bessie, rather spitefully.

"Fairy Bessie," said the Fairy Queen, "I don't like innuendoes. Speak openly, I command you."

"You—I beg pardon—you do what?" said Bessie, as if she had not understood the Queen.

"I command you!" said the Fairy Queen, with great dignity.

"Only the Queen commands me," said Bessie.

"I am the Queen, miss!"

"Oh, dear, no! You are deposed. You would go to earth, you know, alone with that gentleman, and we all thought it bold, so we deposed you. Fairy Mattie is our Queen now."

"Is this so?" said Mary to Fairy Lizzie.

"Certainly," said Lizzie. " We don't think your conduct respectable."

"Will you tell your Queen that I am here, and would like to speak to her?"

"I can't. The Queen and I are not on speaking terms."

"Will you tell some one else to tell the Queen?" said the poor ex-monarch.

"I can't even do that. In fact, we are none of us on speaking terms with one another."

The poor ex-Queen went about from fairy to fairy, but