'Wrong shall be right,
And right shall be might,
When—'
('bless me, what a plague three syllables are!')
'When Felix' right and Felix' might
Shall meet upon Vale Leston height!'
'It is not a height,' interposed Felix.
'The King shall have his own again then,' amended Lance. 'No, I have it. The enchantment is over, and the Frog-prince is about to resume his proper shape!'
'Lance, considering—'
'Blunderbore, considering the extraordinary relief and disburthening of my mind, after labouring under this secret five years come August, if it were not profane, I should compare myself to Christian when the pack dropped off his back!'
'But why was it a secret?'
'For two reasons, Whiteheart,' said Felix. 'First because there was nothing to tell; and secondly, because that "nothing" might have turned several heads. Still, I believe you would have known it long ago, if I had not been ashamed after binding over Lance.'
'Please, may I understand?' entreated Stella, in rather a melancholy voice, as she found her usual mode of observation quite inadequate.