Florimel’s face showed his disappointment.
“No matter where one may be,” he said, “there are always plenty of opportunities to do good. Why not continue here, where we are all so happy?”
“I hope to make Titania my wife,” said Florimel simply.
“And where you are happiest of all,” said His Majesty, with a knowing wink. “Ah, Florimel, my boy, your whole life-story, like nearly every other man’s, may be summed up in just these three words: hatched, matched, dispatched! Tell me how far matters have gone.”
He looked anxiously at King Stanislaus’s face, as though he feared to see displeasure written there, but the genial, encouraging smile upon the royal countenance caused him to take heart.
“I shall be sorry to lose a son,” said the kindly monarch, “but I shall be rejoiced to gain a daughter. Frankly it has always been my great desire to have an alliance of the Brownies and fairies, for together we can do more good than if we worked alone. But until you came I never knew how this could be effected, for Brownies can never marry.”
“Much pleased am I by those words, Your Majesty,” said Florimel. “I do not deny that I wish to be with Titania, for my feelings as far as she is concerned are too plain to be disguised. Still it is not alone the joy of being near her that causes me to wish this, but the thought that harm may come to her at any time, in which case I might be able to be of service to her.”
King Stanislaus seemed very much surprised.
“Harm!” he repeated. “What harm can befall her?”