"You are right. I can send out men with orders to examine every hand-organ in the city."
"If they were quiet enough it might be done, but I have a better plan."
"You may speak," returned the princess.
"When we are alone, your highness," said Gabriel; and the lady-in-waiting was so amazed at such effrontery that she forgot to use her salts.
"To the palace," ordered the princess.
Lady Gertrude gave the order.
"Does your highness intend to take this--this person to the palace?" she inquired.
"I do. He loves my dog, and therefore I would give more for his advice at this time than for that of the Lord High Chamberlain."
"Then I have nothing more to say," returned the Lady Gertrude, leaning back among the cushions; and this was cheering news to her companions.
What was the astonishment of the guard to see the coach return, still carrying the rustic lad, who sat so composedly beside the princess, and dismounted with her at the palace steps.
Once within, nothing was too fine for Gabriel. A gentleman-in-waiting was set to serve him in an apartment, which made the boy pinch himself to make sure he was not dreaming.
When he had taken a perfumed bath and obediently put on the fine clothing that was provided for him, he was summoned to a splendid room where the princess awaited him, surrounded by her ladies. She was scarcely more than a child, herself, and the boy wondered how she liked to have so many critical personages about, to watch her every action.
As he entered the room, every eye was turned upon him, and the Lady Gertrude, especially, put up her gla.s.s in wonder that this handsome lad with the serious, fearless eyes, who seemed so at ease in the silks and satins he now wore, could be the peasant who had jumped on the step of the coach.
The princess looked upon him with favor and smiled. "We are ready now," she said, "to hear what plan you propose for the rescue of the golden dog."
"Then will your highness kindly ask these ladies to leave us?" returned Gabriel.
"Ah, to be sure. I forgot your wish that the communication should be private."
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 a.s.sailed 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 grat.i.tude to G.o.d 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 G.o.d, 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-cla.s.s 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?"
"Straight down this street," said the boy, leading the way. "I am expecting G.o.d will show us where to go," he added.
His companion looked at him in surprise, and Gabriel observed it. "Don"t you know about G.o.d?" he asked.
"Of course. Who does not?" she returned briefly.
"I did not," answered Gabriel, "until I found the Book of Life. It speaks to me in words of flame. Have you such a book?"
"No. I will buy it from you," said the princess.
"No one can do that," declared the boy, "for it is more precious than all beside. This morning I looked into it for guidance through the day, and the glowing words were sweet:--
""_For He shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways_.""
Gabriel smiled at the princess with such gladness that she gazed at him curiously.
"You cannot refuse to sell me your book," she said at last, "for I can have your head taken off if I wish. I am the king"s daughter."
"G.o.d is greater than all kings," returned Gabriel, "and He would not allow it. He helped me to get your attention yesterday, and to-day He is sending his angels with us to find Topaz. The Book of Life is for every one, I believe. I am sure you can have one, too."
Here both the boy and girl started, for there came a metallic sound of music on the air. "Be cautious, be very cautious," warned Gabriel, and as the princess started to run, he caught her by the arm, a proceeding which horrified the tall man in dark clothes who was at some distance back, but had never taken his eyes from them. "You must not be too interested," added the boy, as excited as she. "A hand-organ is an every-day affair. We even hear them in the country at times."
But they both followed the sound, veiling their eagerness as best they might. When they came in sight of the organ-grinder they both sighed, for he had no a.s.sistance from a little dog nor from any one else.
The princess was for turning away impatiently.
"Wait," said Gabriel, "we are interested in organ music." So he persuaded her to stand a minute, while her bright eyes roved in all directions; and the organ man saw a hope of coppers in the pair, for they were decently dressed and lingered in apparent pleasure. He kept his eyes upon them and at last held out his cap.
The princess had plenty of pence in the bag at her side, placed there by the thoughtful Gabriel in place of the handful of silver with which she had intended to reward street musicians.
"You are one of the common people, your highness; or else you need have no hope of Topaz," he had reminded her; so now the impatient girl tossed some coppers into the outstretched cap and hurried along as if they were wasting time.
The next organ they found had, sitting upon it, a monkey dressed in red cap and jacket, and Gabriel insisted on waiting to watch him, although the sight of his antics only swelled the princess"s heart as she thought that somewhere Topaz was being forced to such indignity.