`` Poor Jaqueline ! she was the best girl , and the prettiest , and the kindest . And the Earthquaker 's got her , and the Giant 's got the other things , '' Dick ended , crying bitterly . `` Calm yourself , Ricardo , '' said his Majesty , very pale , but calm and determined . `` Here , take a glass of port , and explain how all this happened . '' Dick drank the wine , and then he told his miserable story . `` You may well sob ! Why did n't you use the Cap of Darkness ? Mere conceit ! But there is no use in crying over spilt milk . The thing is , to rescue Jaqueline . And what are we to say to your mother ? '' `` That 's the worst of it all , '' said Dick . `` Mother will break her heart . '' `` I must see her at once , '' said the king , `` and break it to her . '' This was a terrible task ; but the queen had such just confidence in her Prigio that she soon dried her tears , remarking that Heaven would not desert Jaqueline , and that the king would find a way out of the trouble . His Majesty retired to his study , put his head in his hands , and thought and thought . `` The thing is , of course , '' he said , `` to destroy the Earthquaker before he wakens ; but how ? What can kill such a monster ? Prodding him with the sword would only stir him up and make him more vicious .
And I know XXXXX no other beast we can set against him , as I did with the Fire-beast and the Ice-beast , when I was young .
Dick Prigio at before conceit in of that to with