The two crowns were in readiness for the two Queens.  They were exactly alike, and were made of pasteboard covered with gilt paper.  Miss Hart had helped with these, and they were really triumphs of gorgeous beauty.  Each lay on a lace-trimmed cushion, and with them were long golden sceptres with gilt balls on top.

“Who’s to do to the crowning?” asked King.

“Why, I supposed you had those details all settled in advance,” said Miss Hart, laughing.

“No,” returned King, “we didn’t fix things up ahead much, we thought we’d just make up as we went along.  I’ll crown Flossy Flouncy, and Flip, you crown Marjorie,—­that’ll be all right.”

The other members of the Royal Family took seats on rustic benches, and the two Queens mounted their thrones.  The bowers were pretty, and as they stood side by side, framing the smiling Queens, it was a pretty picture.

“I hate to stop the proceedings,” said Miss Hart, “but I think I must run over and get my camera, and take a snap-shot of this Coronation.”

“All right,” said King, agreeably, “we’ll wait.  We’ll sing a song while you’re gone, and you can skip over and back in no time.”

So while the children sang the “Star Spangled Banner,” Miss Hart ran across the street, and came back with her camera.

“Better wait until they get their crowns on,” suggested Kitty, “they’ll look a heap queenlier then.”

So the coronation ceremony proceeded.  The King and the Prince advanced majestically to the thrones, bearing the crowns on their cushions.

“Who’ll make the speech?” asked the King.

“You may,” said Flip, politely.

“No, you’re better at it than I am.  Well, we’ll each make one.  You can begin.”

So Flip advanced, and holding his burden high at arms’ length he dropped on one knee before Marjorie, and began to declaim in oratorical tones: 

“Fair Maiden, Queen of May, I salute thee!  I salute all the rest of you too, but mostly the Queen, because she is the principal pebble on the beach.  Queens always are.  And so, Fair Maiden, Fair Maynard Maiden, I salute thee.”

“That’s enough saluting,” put in King; “go on with your crowning.”

“And so, fair Queen of May, I crown thee, our Queen and our Sovereign!  May your shadow never grow less, and may you have many happy returns of the day!  And with kind regards to all, I’m your humble servant.”

Having set the crown squarely on Marjorie’s head, Flip bowed low in humble salutation, and then resumed an upright position, rather pleased with his own speech.

“I accept thy homage, O Prince,” said Marjorie, as she bowed and smiled with queenly grace; “and I shall endeavor to be the best Queen in all the world, except Delight, who will probably be better.”

With this graceful tribute to her companion queen, Marjorie sat down, holding her head very straight lest her crown should tumble off.