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“So you’ve come at last, Peter!” she cried, her eyes brightening with delight; and as she took his hand, he saw that she was no other than his favourite playfellow and neighbour, little Mary.

There was a second seat beside her, and to this she drew Peter. Then she beckoned to the Parsnip-men, and said, “You have got everything ready, have you not?” The Parsnip-men bowed low, and hurried away.

In a minute or two they returned, followed by about thirty mannikins like themselves, who bore a magnificent dress which they deposited before Peter. There was a coat of blue silk, turned up with fur, and trimmed with precious stones. Besides this there were knee-breeches of the same material, slashed with white and fringed with gold, white silk stockings, and smart shoes with gold buckles. To complete the whole, there lay on the top a cap, with a heron’s plume fastened by an aigrette of gold.

But Peter’s attention all this time had been fixed upon Mary. He fancied she looked bigger than usual and unfamiliar in some way.

“Take the clothes into that room,” said she to the little men; “and you, Peter,” she added, “go with them and dress. Then we will go to supper.”

“But–er–does your mamma know you’re here?” asked Peter. He could not get over his amazement at the style and tone in which little Mary issued her orders in this strange place.

“I should think not!” laughed the little girl. “But never mind, Peter: we shall soon be at home again. What you’ve got to do just now is to put on your things.”

As if in a dream, Peter went into the room into which the clothes had been taken, and where the little men helped him to take off his things and dress himself in his new-finery. Some of them then brought a long mirror, in which Peter could see himself from head to foot, and he fairly laughed with delight at his fine appearance in his new clothes.

Then the little men led him back to the Queen, who looked him well over, and she also smiled complacently.

“Did you bring your doll, Mary?” said Peter presently.

“That’s not very likely,” replied she. “It would not do for a queen to play at dolls.”

“Have you been a queen very long?” Peter inquired.

“For several years,” said Mary.

“But you and I were playing together only yesterday,” said poor Peter, in puzzled tones.

But Mary had turned her back to him, and was pulling a bell at the back of her throne.

Although the music was still going on, the clear tone of the bell which the Queen had rung was heard above every other sound.

The music and the dancing stopped at once.

“Come, Peter, give me your arm,” said Mary. “We’re going into the supper-room.”

They stepped down into the hall, where all the Parsnip-men had now ranged themselves in two long rows, down the centre of which the Queen and her companion now passed, and then the Parsnip-men closed in and formed a long procession behind them.

In this way they came to the other end of the hall. The large folding-doors swung open, and Peter fancied he was looking into a large garden. But it was only another hall in which tall foreign-looking trees were planted, whilst many-tinted flowers of gorgeous colours and strange shapes hung from the walls, and hither and thither among them flitted curious birds of many hues. As in the first hall, crystal lustres with wax tapers descended from the roof, and in the middle of the room, to which they now advanced, was a long table covered with a white table-cloth, and laid out with gold and silver plate of all sorts. There were golden vases with handles, golden tankards, golden dessert-dishes filled with splendid fruits; silver plates and goblets and drinking-cups, and beside them stood crystal flasks. Hundreds of chairs were placed round the table, and in every place was a little silver knife and a plate.