It was a lovely warm evening , and the French windows were wide open on the balcony , which looked over the town and away north to the hills . Below them flowed the clear , green water of the Gluckthal And still nobody said a word . At last the prince spoke : `` This is a very strange story , Lord Kelso ! '' `` Very , sir ! '' said the ambassador . `` But true , '' added the prince ; `` at least , there is no reason in the nature of things why it should n't be true . '' `` I can hardly believe , sir , that the conduct of Benson , whom I always found a most respectable man , deserved -- '' `` That he should be ` come for , ' '' said the prince . `` Oh , no ; it was a mere accident , and might have happened to any of us who chanced to sit down on my carpet . '' And then the prince told them , shortly , all about it : how the carpet was one of a number of fairy properties , which had been given him at his christening ; and how so long a time had gone by before he discovered them ; and how , probably , the carpet had carried the butler where he had said he wanted to go -- namely , to the king 's Court at Falkenstein . `` It would not matter so much , '' added the prince , `` only I had relied on making my peace with his majesty , my father , by aid of those horns and that tail . He was set on getting them ; and if the Lady Rosalind had not expressed a wish for them , they would to-day have been in his possession . '' `` Oh , sir , you honour us too highly , '' murmured Lady Rosalind ; and the prince blushed and said : `` Not at all ! Impossible ! '' Then , of course , the ambassador became quite certain that his daughter was admired by the crown prince , who was on bad terms with the king of the country ; and a more uncomfortable position for an ambassador -- however , they are used to them . `` What on earth am I to do with the young man ? '' he thought . `` He ca n't stay here for ever ; and without his carpet he ca n't get away , for the soldiers have orders to seize him as soon as he appears in the street . And in the meantime Benson will be pretending that he killed the Firedrake -- for he must have got to Falkenstein by now , -- and they will be for marrying him to the king 's niece , and making my butler crown prince to the kingdom of Pantouflia ! It is dreadful ! '' Now all this time the prince was on the balcony , telling Lady Rosalind all about how he got the Firedrake done for , in the most modest way ; for , as he said : `` I did n't kill him : and it is really the Remora , poor fellow , who should marry Molly ; but he 's dead . ''
At this very moment there was a whizz XXXXX the air ; something shot past them , and , through the open window , the king , the queen , Benson , and the mortal remains of the Firedrake were shot into the ambassador 's drawing room !
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