“Omit all this long, unnecessary preamble,” growled Dragonfel, in great disgust, “and get down to hard facts. What have you discovered?”
“The Brownie prince is to wed the fairy queen!”
Dragonfel’s face went from scarlet to white, then from white to scarlet, then back to white, and then to scarlet again, just like the flashing of a vari-colored electric sign.
“How do you know?” he asked, trying to control his temper. “Who told you?”
“No one,” said the trembling Red Spirit. “I saw him place an engagement-ring on her finger.”
“Well,” declared Dragonfel, in a tone of the utmost brutality, “if they are planning to get married all I’ve got to say is they’ve got another guess coming!”
“Who will prevent the marriage, kind master?”
“I will prevent it!” irascibly shouted the enchanter, and he clapped his hands together in an imperious way. “What ho, without there! Here’s a pretty kettle of fish! Come hither instantly!”
Grouthead, Mandrake, Boundingbore, Wolfinger, Snoutpimple, and others were out in an ante-room, and they almost tumbled over each other in their frantic haste to answer the peremptory summons.
