"There are sundry traitorous persons of the faction of the late Regent, whose existence is dangerous to the peace of the realm, and against whom I wish to issue writs of attainder if your Majesty will consent."
"Yes, I thought so," the Queen said. "How many are there?"
"Three thousand nine hundred and forty," the Regent said, looking at a great scroll.
"Good gracious!" the Queen said. "Why, that's five times as many as ever there were before."
The Regent stroked his beard "There is a great deal of disaffection in the land," he said.
"Why, the last Regent said the people were ever so contented," the Queen answered.
"The last Regent has deceived your Majesty."
"That's what they all say about the last Regent. Why, it was only the other day that he told me that you were deceitful—and you are—and he said that you had thrown your wife into a yard full of hungry dogs, in order that you might marry me."
"Your Majesty," the Regent said, flushing with heavy anger, "the late Regent was a tyrant, and all tyrants are untruthful, as your Majesty's wisdom must tell you. My wife had the misfortune to fall into a bear-pit, and, as for my daring to raise my eyes as high as your Majesty——"
"Why, you're looking at me now," the Queen said. "However, it doesn't matter. You can't marry me till I'm twenty-one, and I shan't be that for some time. By-the-by, who's going to be my next governess?"