However that may be, it is quite certain that all the courtiers in
Nymphalin's domain (for she was a queen fairy) made a point of asserting
her right to this illustrious descent; and accordingly she quartered the
Mab arms with her own,--three acorns vert, with a grasshopper rampant.
It was as merry a little court as could possibly be conceived, and on a
fine midsummer night it would have been worth while attending the queen's
balls; that is to say, if you could have got a ticket, a favour not
obtained without great interest.

But, unhappily, until both men and fairies adopt Mr. Owen's proposition,
and live in parallelograms, they will always be the victims of _ennui_.
And Nymphalin, who had been disappointed in love, and was still
unmarried, had for the last five or six months been exceedingly tired
even of giving balls. She yawned very frequently, and consequently
yawning became a fashion.

"But why don't we have some new dances, my Pipalee?" said Nymphalin to
her favourite maid of honour; "these waltzes are very old-fashioned."

"Very old-fashioned," said Pipalee.

The queen gaped, and Pipalee did the same.

It was a gala night; the court was held in a lone and beautiful hollow,
with the wild brake closing round it on every side, so that no human step
could easily gain the spot. Wherever the shadows fell upon the brake a
glow-worm made a point of exhibiting itself, and the bright August moon
sailed slowly above, pleased to look down upon so charming a scene of
merriment; for they wrong the moon who assert that she has an objection