I ran and took her in my arms, and lavished caresses upon her and said, beseechingly:

“Speak, darling, speak! What is it?”

Her head fell limp upon my bosom, and she gasped, almost inaudibly:

“Hello-Central!”

“Quick!” I shouted to Clarence; “telephone the king’s homeopath to come!”

In two minutes I was kneeling by the child’s crib, and Sandy was dispatching servants here, there, and everywhere, all over the palace. I took in the situation almost at a glance — membranous croup! I bent down and whispered:

“Wake up, sweetheart! Hello-Central.