"But there is no use in discussing new articles of food when the
kingdom is under the cloud that it is at present, and my retorts and
crystals all smashed," said the Baron.

"Why, what is the cloud, my lord?" inquired the Pop-corn man. Then the
Baron told him the whole story.

"Of course it is necromancy," remarked the Pop-corn man thoughtfully,
when the Baron had finished.

The Baron pounded on the table until it danced. "Necromancy!" he
cried, "of course it's necromancy! Who but a necromancer could have
made a child invisible, and stolen her away in the face and eyes of
the whole court?"

"Have you any idea where she is?" ask the Pop-corn man.

The Baron stared at him in amazement.

"Idea where she is?" he repeated scornfully. "You are just of a piece
with the idiots who broke my mirrors to see if the Princess was not
behind them! How should we have any idea where she is if she is lost,
pray?"

The Pop-corn man blushed, and looked frightened, but the Head-nurse
spoke up quite bravely, although her voice was so muffled, and said
that she really did have some idea of the Princess's whereabouts. She
propounded her views which were quite plausible. It was her opinion
that only an enemy of the King would have caused the Princess to be
stolen, and as the King had only one enemy of whom anybody knew, and