Whereupon the leader of the soldiers, who had not had the fortune to get at any of the Queen's jewellery, said, "Release the lady;" and, rather crestfallen, the soldiers obeyed him.
"Oh, your Majesty," the leader said, kneeling, "we have had such a trouble to find you. The Regent, discovering that your Majesty had left the palace, told us to follow you with all haste to provide for your safety."
"So you provided for it by trying to rob people's houses," the Queen said.
And the leader answered, "Oh no, your Majesty. We feared, knowing that James Grubb is a noted rebel, that he had kidnapped your Majesty, and so were making a domiciliary search."
"I'm not a noted rebel," the honey-cake maker gasped. "I'm only noted for my honey-cakes."
But no one noticed his little puff.
The Queen said to the soldiers, "Well, I don't want you. You can go; and don't make any more domiciliary searches."
The leader, however, answered, "Oh, but, your Majesty, domiciliary searches are most necessary in the present state of the kingdom."
"I don't care," the Queen said; "I forbid you to make them. So now go away."
"But, your Majesty," the leader answered, "the Regent gave us orders to conduct your Majesty back to the palace. It is not constitutional."