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such distinguished rank, I ae-bell, and sweetly over the gay jingle of voices rose the sweet,

faint strains of the unseen lass and gilding opposite

the throne was flung wide, and a grand usher in a grand court livery

flourished a rand wand, and shouted, in a stentorian voice, "Back: back, ye lieges, and make way for Her Majesty, Queen Miranda!"

Instantly the unseen band thundered forth the national anthe fell back on either hand in profoundest silence and

expectation The grand usher mysteriously disappeared, and in his place

there stalked forward a score of soldiers, with clanking swords and

fierce uard

These shoarriors arranged themselves silently on either side of the

cri personages,

the foremost croith lory of an archbishop, but the face underneath, to the

deep surprise and scandal of Sir Nor

roue of Charles court, after hinificence that the unseen looker-on set hih chancellor, at the very least The

soentlemen who stepped after the pious prelate and

peer wore the stars and garters of foreign courts, and were evidently

eht irls, angels all but the wings,

slender as sylphs, and robed in purest white Each bore on her arm a

basket of flowers, roses and rosebuds of every tint, from snohite to

darkest crihtly

as they went And then after all cahtest, the best--the Midnight Queen," herself One other figure

followed her, and as they entered, a shout arose fro live Queen Miranda!" And bowing gracefully and easily

to the right end left, the queen with a queenly step, trod the long

crial throne