talk with the ladies, ordered the coachman to follow him. Then stopping

the carriage at a proper distance, he led the three ladies towards the

King, who was thoroughly tired, and had forgotten all about them. His

Majesty's sole desire was to get into his carriage and go to sleep; for

he was threescore years and six of age, and his health not such as it

used to be. Ever since twelve o'clock he had been sitting in a box made

of feather-edged boards, which the newspapers called a pavilion, having

two little curtains (both of which stuck fast) for his only defence

against sun, noise, and dust. Moreover, his seat was a board full of

knots, with a strip of thin velvet thrown over it; and Her Majesty

sitting towards the other end (that the public might see between them),

and weighing more than he did, every time she jumped up, he went down,

and every time she plumped down, he went up. But he never complained,

and only slowly got tired. "Thank God!" he said, gently, "it's all over

now. My dear, you must be monstrous tired; and scarcely a bit to eat all

day. But I locked some in the seat-box this morning--no trusting anybody

but oneself. Let us get into the coach and have at them." "Ja, ja,

meinherr," said the Queen.

"If it please your Majesties"--a clear voice entered between the

bonnet-hoods of the curtains--"here are the ladies whose attendance I

was ordered to require."

"Ladies!--what ladies?" asked King George, rubbing his eyes, and

yawning. "Oh yes, to be sure! I mustn't get up so early to-morrow. Won't

take a minute, my dear. Let them come. Not much time to spare."

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