"Yes, this is she," said the housekeeper.
"She looks young," remarked the Queen Dowager.
"Very true," said the housekeeper, "but she cannot be any older at present."
"You are right," said Her Majesty; "we will examine her."
So saying, she took up a paper which lay on the table, and which seemed to have a lot of items written on it.
"Get ready," said she to the housekeeper, who opened a large blank-book and made ready to record Selma's answers.
The Queen Dowager read from the paper the first question:
"What are your qualifications?"
Selma, standing there before this little old queen and this little old housekeeper, was somewhat embarrassed, and a question like this did not make her feel any more at her ease. She could not think what qualifications she had. As she did not answer at once, the Queen Dowager turned to the housekeeper and said:
"Put down, 'Asked, but not given.'"