Then the princess gave orders that every one should leave the room, and her companions obeyed reluctantly, the Lady Gertrude above all.  She remained close to the outside of the closed door, ready to fly within at the slightest cry from her mistress; for the Lady Gertrude could not quite believe that a boy who had ever worn a calico shirt was a safe person to leave alone with royalty.

For a few minutes there was only a low buzz of voices behind the closed door, then a merry laugh from the princess assailed Lady Gertrude’s ears.  It was the first time she had laughed since the disappearance of the golden dog.

Before Gabriel slipped between the sheets that night in his luxurious chamber, he took the little brown book which had been folded away with his shabby clothing.  His heart glowed with gratitude to God for the help he had received that day, and when he opened the page it was as if a loving voice spoke:—­

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee.”

“Dear God, I trust in thee!” he murmured; then he climbed into the soft bed and slept dreamlessly.

The following morning, the king and queen having given consent to their daughter’s request, two children drove out of the palace grounds in a plain black carriage.  The coachman drove to a confectioner’s near the centre of the town, where the horses stopped.  A tall man in dark clothes, who was also in the carriage, stepped down first and handed out the girl, and afterward the boy jumped down.  Then the carriage rolled away.

“Remember,” said the girl, turning to the tall man, “you are not to remain too near us.”

He bowed submissively, and in a minute more the girl and boy, plainly dressed, middle-class people, were looking in at the confectioner’s window at a pink and white frosted castle that reared itself above a cake surrounded with bon-bons to make one’s mouth water.

“Saw you ever anything so grand, your highness?” exclaimed Gabriel, in awe.

The princess laughed.  Her cheeks were pink and her eyes sparkled.  This was the first time her little feet had ever touched a city street, and she loved the adventure.

“Find me Topaz, and all the contents of this window shall be yours,” she returned.

“I shall not care to have anything until we do find him, your highness,” replied Gabriel simply.

“You must not call me that.  Some one might hear you.”

“I know it.  There is danger of it,” declared Gabriel; “but the gentleman who is to follow us said I should lose my head if I treated you familiarly.”

The princess laughed again.  She was in a new world, like a bird whose cage door had been opened.

“We need your head until we find Topaz,” she replied, “for you have clever ideas.  Nevertheless, my name is Louise, and you may remember it if necessity arises.  Now where shall we go first?”