"Is it, your Majesty?" said the Count. "I—I had no idea of that—no one ever told me so!"
"Well, it is, you know. You must put an end to it—have it destroyed. Painlessly, if you like, but—well, you've got to get rid of it somehow."
"In your own interest, Count," urged the Queen. "Just think how unpopular you would be with your neighbours if it broke loose!"
"I should not like to be unpopular," he said. "And if your Majesties insist on slaying the only living creature that loves me——!"
"What?" put in Clarence unfeelingly, "don't the hearse—I mean the carriage-horses love you?"
But again the Count took no notice of the question.
"It's too bad of you, Father!" cried Edna indignantly; "yes, and you too, Mother! To come here at Count Ruprecht's invitation, to see his dragon and then tell him to destroy it! I think it perfectly disgraceful of you, and you will get a very bad name in the country when people hear of it. When you happen to be Sovereigns you might at least behave as such!"
"Well, well, my dear," said her Mother, who had not considered the question from this side before, "we merely threw it out as a suggestion—nothing more. And if the Count will undertake to keep his dragon under proper control, that is all we shall require of him."
The Count willingly gave this undertaking, and the visit ended without any loss of cordiality on either side.
"We've seen the dragon, Miss Heritage!" Ruby announced with sparkling eyes on her return. "And he is such a darling! Do you know, I don't think the Count can be quite so horrid after all, or Tützi wouldn't be fond of him. Only fancy, Mums and Daddy wanted the Count to have him killed! But Edna made them say he needn't. Aren't you glad?... Oh, I forgot—you never really loved my newts. But you would Tützi—he's quite dry, you know—not the least bit clammy.... Do you think there's time before dinner for me to run down and play with the Gnomes?"