I smiled and shook my head deprecatingly.
"But how ...?" I began.
"It's about Margery and Max," she continued.
I was much astonished.
"Margery and Max," I echoed slowly. "But surely there's no need to trouble
about them. It's a most delightful engagement. They're blissfully happy. I
saw Margery only yesterday ..."
"Oh, the engagement's all right," said the Queen. "As a matter of fact it
was I who really arranged that affair. Of course they think they did it
themselves--people always do--but it would never have come off without me.
No, the trouble is I don't know what to give them for a wedding present.
You see I'm particularly fond of Margery; I've always taken a great
interest in her, and I do want them to have something they'll really like.
But it's so difficult. They have all the essential things already: youth,
health, good fortune, love of course; and I can't go giving them motor-cars
and grandfather clocks and unimportant things of that kind. Now can I?"
I agreed. As it happened I was in a somewhat similar predicament myself,
though from rather different causes.
"Can't you think of _anything_?" she asked a little petulantly, evidently
annoyed at my inadequacy. I shook my head.
"I can't," I said. "But why not find out from them? It's often done. You
might ask Margery what Max would like and then sound him about her."
The Queen brightened up. "What a good idea!" she said. "I'll go at once.
Pages:
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27