But he recovered himself in a moment, and beckoned to the Emperor to resume his place at the table. The company seated themselves again—room being found for the Elfin-King between his two children—and the Lord Chancellor rose once more, to propose the next toast.
“The next toast—the hero of the day—why, he isn’t here!” he broke off in wild confusion.
Good gracious! Everybody had forgotten Prince Uggug!
“He was told of the Banquet, of course?” said the Emperor.
“Undoubtedly!” replied the Chancellor. “_That_ would be the duty of the Gold Stick in Waiting.”
“Let the Gold Stick come forwards!” the Emperor gravely said.
The Gold Stick came forwards. “I attended on His Imperial Fatness,” was the statement made by the trembling official. “I told him of the Lecture and the Banquet——.”
“What followed?” said the Emperor: for the unhappy man seemed almost too frightened to go on.
“His Imperial Fatness was graciously pleased to be sulky. His Imperial Fatness was graciously pleased to box my ears. His Imperial Fatness was graciously pleased to say ‘I don’t care!’”
“‘Don’t-care’ came to a bad end,” Sylvie whispered to Bruno. “I’m not sure, but I _believe_ he was hanged.”
The Professor overheard her. “_That_ result,” he blandly remarked, “was merely a case of mistaken identity.”
“Permit me to explain. ‘Don’t-care’ and ‘Care’ were twin-brothers. ‘Care,’ you know, killed the Cat. And they caught ‘Don’t-care’ by mistake, and hanged him instead. And so ‘Care’ is alive still. But he’s very unhappy without his brother. That’s why they say ‘Begone, dull Care!’”
“Thank you!” Sylvie said, heartily. “It’s very extremely interesting. Why, it seems to explain _everything_!”
“Well, not quite _everything_,” the Professor modestly rejoined. “There are two or three scientific difficulties——”
“What was your general impression as to His Imperial Fatness?” the Emperor asked the Gold Stick.
“My impression was that His Imperial Fatness was getting more——”
All listened breathlessly for the next word.
“He must be sent for _at once_!” the Emperor exclaimed. And the Gold Stick went off like a shot. The Elfin-King sadly shook his head. “No use, no use!” he murmured to himself. “Loveless, loveless!”
Pale, trembling, speechless, the Gold Stick came slowly back again.