my dear! This is you and me at the Opening of Parliament yesterday." He
unfolded his paper and read--

"'The regal purple flowed proudly from the King's shoulders; above their
three ribbons of red, green, and gold, the Orders of his ancestors
burned confidingly on the royal breast. The Queen's diamonds were
supreme; upon the silken fabric of her corsage they flashed incredibly;
one watched them, fire-color infinitely varied, infinitely intensified,
like nothing else seen on earth. As she advanced, deeply bowing to right
and left, parabolas of light exhaled from her coronet like falling
stars. When King and Queen were seated, their State robes flowing in
purple waves and ripples of ermine to the very steps of the dais, the
picture was complete. Single gems of the first water glistened like
dewdrops in the Queen's ears, while upon her bosom as she breathed the
three great Turgeneff diamonds caught and defiantly threw back the
light. They became the center of all eyes.'

"I call that disgusting!" said the King. "Why diamonds should burn
confidingly on my breast, and flash incredibly on yours, I'm sure I
don't know. But there we are: a couple of clothes'-pegs for journalists
to hang words on."

The Queen had rather enjoyed the description, it enabled her to see
herself as she appeared to others.

"I don't see the harm," she said; "we have to wear these things, so they
may as well be described."

"I wish some day you wouldn't wear them!" said the King. "Then, instead
of talking of your trinkets and your clothes, they would begin to pay