"Oh, if you say so, Baron," she said. "But anyone might easily mistake it for impertinence. If it was not hopeless to expect an intelligent answer from people who seem unable to stay right side up for a single moment, I should like to know what wages they receive and what they live on."
The Court Chamberlain informed her that the Gnomes got no wages and required little in the way of food, their favourite diet, he believed, being earth.
"Revolting!" was her comment. "No wonder they look so unwell! Still, their living cannot cost much, so I should think, Sidney, if we gave the—er—foreman a gold piece to be divided amongst them, that would be amply sufficient."
King Sidney thereupon presented a ducat to the most important-looking Gnome, who immediately let it drop indifferently.
"Wonder why he did that?" said the King. "Doesn't he think it's enough?"
"Knows too much about how it's made, I expect," said Clarence. "Like the chap at the Marmalade factory."
"Well, it's a pity to waste it," said his father, picking up the coin. "I should like to see them at work before we go."
His wish having been conveyed to the Head Gnome, the whole band rushed, yelping and screeching, back into the galleries, seized their picks, and began hacking at the gold which gleamed in veins of incredible richness through the rocky walls and roof of the caves. But perhaps their efforts would have been more effective if they had not been quite so apt to get in one another's way.
The visitors then inspected the furnace where the ore was melted, and the Mint where it was stamped into big fat coins. These were put up in sacks for transmission to the Royal Treasury, but, as a fresh batch had been delivered only recently, the supply in hand at the Mint was not very large just then.
"I did like those Gnomes!" said Princess Ruby on the way home. "Didn't you, Mummy?"