"Evidently from his earliest youth he was of the stuff of which criminals are made.
"When he grew up he married and became the father of three adorable little girls."
At the mention of the three little girls Redy and Smaly stopped and looked at each other.
"Those are the three little daughters of the Prisoner," whispered Redy.
Smaly went on reading:
"When his wife died," Smaly read, "he decided to give to his daughters a good, if rather original education.
The King
"Every alternate week he dressed them as boys, and during that week they behaved as boys, and the next week they would become girls again. 'That will accustom them to anything,' he used to say. 'Nothing in life should be difficult to them after that.'
"Three young men fell in love with them, but unfortunately called on their father to demand them in marriage one Monday morning when the three girls were dressed as boys, and considered as such by their father.