“May I look at it?” his Majesty asked, and Rosina, all in a flutter, took it off and gave if to him. “H’m!” said the king. “Very curious and pretty! May I ask you where you got this, Rosina?”
Now Rosina generally had her answer ready, and I am very sorry to say that she did not always speak the truth when she could think of anything better. On this occasion she was anxious to think of something better, for fear of getting Jaqueline into a scrape about the chemical experiment in her bedroom. But Rosina was fluttered, as we said, by the royal
kindness, and she could think of nothing but to curtsy, and say:
“Please, your Majesty, the princess gave me the drops.”
“Very interesting,” said the king. “There is a little white moon shining in each of them! I wonder if they shine in the dark?”
He opened the door of a cupboard which had no windows, where the housemaid kept her mops and brooms, and shut himself in. Yes, there was no mistake; the darkness was quite lighted up with the sheen of the seven little moons in the silver. The king looked rather grave.
“If you can trust me with this cross till to-morrow, Rosina, I should like to have it examined and analysed. This is no common silver.”
Of course Rosina could only curtsy, but she was very much alarmed about the consequences to her mistress.
After luncheon, the king asked Jaqueline to come into his study, as he often did, to help him with his letters. When they had sat down his Majesty said: