"Your Majesty sent for me," said Coronel.
The King stopped his pacings and looked round as Coronel came into the library.
"Ah, yes, yes," he said quickly. "Now sit down there and make yourself comfortable. I want to talk to you about this marriage."
"Which one, your Majesty?"
"Which one? Why, of course, yours—that is to say, Belvane's—or—rather——" He came to a stop in front of Coronel and looked at him earnestly. "Well, in a way, both."
Coronel nodded.
"You want to marry my daughter," Merriwig went on. "Now it is customary, as you know, that to the person to whom I give my daughter, I give also half my kingdom. Naturally before I make this sacrifice I wish to be sure that the man to whom—well, of course, you understand."
"That he is worthy of the Princess Hyacinth," said Coronel. "Of course he couldn't be," he added with a smile.
"And worthy of half the kingdom," amended Merriwig. "That he should prove himself this is also, I think, customary."
"Anything that your Majesty suggests——"