"'Monsieur,' I said, 'was the Queen of France as beautiful as our Princess?'
"Then he made me a grand bow that made me think he was not quite so horrid.
"'Mademoiselle,' he said, 'I have never seen so lovely a woman as this Princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, never.'"
When Marianne read this the children stopped her.
"Was that our Queen?" asked Carl.
"Of course," said Ilsa, "first she was Crown Princess, then our Queen."
At that moment the maid brought in the supper.
"To-morrow night," said Marianne, "I will read you the next things that happened. Come, now, Bettina, you may pass the bread, and Ilse, you and Elsa sit here one on each side of me, and Carl, you may be father."
"It is nice, Mariechen," said Ilse, "to have you take care of us."
"Yes," said Elsa.