All thoughts of crowns, queens, and armies seemed to vanish from Nell's 
mind, and she was just a young lady again, looking for—what? Her mother? 
Her teacher? Her friend? Carl Hollywood spoke to Nell in a low gentle voice, 
projecting
just enough to be heard over the strumming of the waves. He spoke to her of 
Miranda, and of the book, and of the old stories about the deeds of Princess 
Nell, which he had watched from the wings, as it were, by looking in on 
Miranda's feed many years ago at the Parnasse.