"'What are you doing?' I whispered. 'Are you mad? You may enrage him.
Do not touch the rope! Do not touch it again!' Oh, the recklessness, the
unthinking playfulness of woman! How can we guard against it? How can we
be safe from it?

"The rope was now still for a moment. It ceased to interest the tiger,
and he looked upward. Suddenly an idea came into his head. He seized the
rope in his great jaws, and gave a powerful jump backward. Oh, what a
jerk, what a shock! It was worse than an earthquake. It was like a great
throb from the heart of the tiger to the heart of the man. I must have
turned pale. Did he intend to haul us down? This fearsome thought vented
itself in smothered ejaculations, and Irene turned to me and spoke in
her usual voice:

"'He cannot do that, for it is impossible for him to haul us down hand
over hand or paw over paw. He is only playing. The rope amuses him. And
we need not speak in whispers; even if he hears us he cannot understand
us. Is it not time to shoot?'

"She is so precipitate, my Irene. I love her, but she lacks that prudent
hesitancy which so often gives a man his power over circumstances.

"Still I considered the case: if I were going to shoot at all, this was
surely a good time. Everything had come so suddenly that I had not had
time to collect myself, to prepare for action.

"I looked steadfastly down at the beast, and so did my Irene. I was
becoming calmer. He looked up at us with an air of concentration; he
paid no more attention to the rope.

"I lifted my rifle; I scrutinized its every portion; it was in order.
Then I leaned over the edge of the car and pointed it downward. I aimed
it between his great, earnest eyes, into the very middle of his
thoughtful and observant countenance. I pulled the trigger; the
explosion shook the car.

"Up from the ground there came a sudden, startling roar. At first I
could not see the tiger, but when the smoke moved away I found myself
gazing down into his savage, blazing eyes. Roar after roar came up; he
sprang from side to side; his tail stiffened and curled, and when he
opened his vast mouth, showing the cavern of his throat, his red tongue,
and his long white teeth, a shiver ran through me. Instinctively I
grasped my Irene by the arm.

"'I do not believe you hit him,' said she. 'See how he bounds! He cannot
be hurt. It must be difficult to aim directly downward, but let me try.'

"I did not forbid her. Even by chance she might strike that awful beast
in some vital part. She took a long, deliberate aim, and as she fired
the tiger gave a veritable scream.

"'Ah, ha!' I cried, 'you hit him. Truly, my Irene, you hit him.'

"'But it was only in the toe,' she said. 'See how he has stopped to lick
it with his tongue. I think it is his littlest toe. It is not much.'

"Large toe or small one, that tiger was now an angry beast. Hopping
backward a little way, he now crouched to the ground, and then gave a
wild spring upward. It was heart-sickening as his great form, with its
yellow skin and black stripes, his blazing eyes, his flashing teeth, and
his outspread claws, rose toward us through the air. Of course he could
not hurt us; we were too high up. Irene's face flushed. 'That was a
great leap,' she said.

"I took up my rifle again. It comforted me to see what a small jump the
beast had made compared to our distance from the ground. Again I fired,
and this time also I did not hit him. I had never practised shooting at
things almost beneath me; the slightest motion of Irene disturbed my
aim. The report seemed to infuriate the tiger until he was on the verge
of madness. He jumped from side to side, he roared, he gnashed his
teeth, and it seemed to me that I could smell his horrid breath coming
up toward us.

"Suddenly he ceased all motion; he crouched upon the ground; he made no
sound; he shut his mouth; he partly shut his eyes, but they were fixed
upon me immovably, and they were green as emerald.

"'Now,' said Irene, 'is a good time to take another shot. Shall I try?'

"I raised my hand that she might not move. There was a change coming
over the sun. At first I thought my sight was affected and I did not see
well, but it was not that. Instinctively I gazed upward. A wandering
cloud was slowly moving under the sun. Then I looked down. The tiger's
yellow was not so bright, his black stripes were not so clear and
sharp-cut, and, more than that, he was coming nearer. The balloon was
slowly descending. The truth flashed upon me. Deprived of the direct
rays of the sun, the gas was condensing. We were going down, down,
slowly but surely down!

"A chill ran through me, an awful premonitory chill. I knew what to do,
but there was little I could do. We carried no ballast, for this was a
captive balloon. What could I throw out? The extra rifle! Out it went,
and fell not far from the tiger; but he did not move; with his green
eyes fixed upon the car, he watched it slowly descend. The rifle had
relieved it of a little of its weight, but the middle of the cloud was
thicker than its edge. The gas was still condensing, the balloon was
slowly descending. I became almost frantic. If my Irene had been any one
else I believe I would have thrown her out. But I could not throw out my
Irene. Besides, she was so vigorous.

"It was awful, this steady, this merciless descent. It was like entering
a tomb with a red tongue and flashing teeth waiting within. The green
eyes gleamed with the malice of a waiting devil biding his time and
knowing that it was drawing near.

"Down, down we went, and the smell of his horrid breath came up like the
forerunner of a cruel death. Now a tremor ran through the whole body of
the crouching beast; even his tail trembled like a feather in the wind.
He seemed to press himself nearer and nearer to the earth. His eyes were
fixed steadily upon the car.

"I knew what this meant. He was about to spring. The moment that we
should descend sufficiently low, he would hurl himself into the car; he
would not wait for it to touch the ground.

"My thoughts raced through my brain. If anything could be done, it must
be done in the next half-minute. I spoke quickly to Irene.

"'Do not lose a second,' I said. 'Get out on the outside of the car;
rest lightly upon its edge; hold by the ropes. I will do the same. At
the moment I give the word you must jump. Both together; do not
hesitate. It will not be much of a fall. We cannot stay here and have
him--'

"At this instant the tiger gave a tremendous bound upward, his fore
paws, bristling with claws, stretched over the edge of the car. In that
instant I jumped!

"It was a great leap, and as my feet struck the ground and my eyes
glanced rapidly about me a feeling of great joy filled my breast. I was
on the earth again, master of myself, and the tiger was not there. I
looked upward. The great beast was drawing up his hind legs and was
climbing into the car, and there was Irene, my Irene, outside of the
car, sitting on the edge and holding on to the ropes. I had forgotten to
give her the word! How my heart sank! It was terrible!

"I now perceived something that almost paralyzed my every faculty. That
balloon was rising. I was a large man and I was heavier than the tiger;
with its reduced weight the balloon was slowly going upward. I clasped
my hands, I gasped for breath. If I should call to Irene to jump now she
would be dashed to pieces, the car was already so high. And then the
great truth flashed upon me: 'What matters it? If she leaps she will be
killed; if she does not leap--' I could not think of it!

"To be sure, I might seize the rope and pull her down low enough so that
she might safely drop; but if I did that the tiger might also jump. Oh,
what a position to be in, for one who loves!

"It was now absolutely impossible for either of them safely to leap from
the car unless I pulled it down, and my mind was not capable of even
considering such an alternative. To meet him here upon the ground, in
this awful solitude! To die together, but not in each other's arms; to
perish from this bright earth; to reach out to my Irene; to call to her
as she reached out and called to me, when the terrible monster-- It was
too much!

"But even in my despair I remembered to be humane. I seized the end of
the rope. I would not let my Irene float away altogether. I could not.
The soul of the husband asserted itself. The cloud had now passed from
the face of the sun. The balloon was rising with considerable force, but
I could hold it; I was very heavy. I would not desert my Irene.

"As I stood thus, looking upward and holding fast to all that was dear
to me in life, I saw Irene, still sitting on the edge of the car, raise
one hand and put it to her head. I could see that she was feeling faint;
the strain of her position was beginning to tell upon her; at any moment
she might fall. Then my quick glance sought the tiger. He was in the
car, his great head and two front paws hanging over the edge; his green
eyes were steadily fixed on me. Just then Irene, evidently unable to
hold any longer to the ropes, gave herself a dexterous twist, and in an
instant she was inside the car, her head sinking down out of sight. Oh,
noble, most beloved Irene! Sooner than let herself drop and fall at my
feet a mangled corpse, she would do anything. She well understood my too
sensitive soul, this dear Irene!

"In spite of my emotion I still held firmly to the rope, and the tiger
still glared down upon me. It was too far for him to jump; he knew that
if he did he would be dashed to pieces. This gave me strength and
courage.

"Irene now raised herself and looked over the edge of the car; the tiger
by her side did not regard her. I have often read of wild animals, of
different kinds and degrees of fierceness, who, having fallen into a pit
together, did not attack each other, but remained as gentle as sheep,
being cowed by their fear. Plainly this tiger was cowed. He had never
been so far above the earth; he knew that he would die if he leaped; but
he kept his sinister green eyes steadily fixed on me.

[Illustration: The great beast was drawing up his hind legs and was
climbing into the car.]

"Now Irene called down to me. I could not hear what she said, I was in
such terrible agitation. And besides, I think she was afraid to speak
too loudly, for fear she might startle the black-and-yellow beast. How I
longed to hear her dear words, perhaps her last! Mayhap she was bidding
me a fond farewell; perhaps she was trying to encourage me and uphold my
heart in this terrible trial. It would be like her; she knows my love
for her, my dear Irene!

"And then, ah yes! it might be that she was asking my permission to
throw herself from the car: that she was beseeching me to turn away my
head that she might leap to the ground, and thus end her anxieties and
her miseries--I might say our miseries; for if the tiger should follow
her he, too, would be killed. I should be left to weep over my dearest,
the joy of my life and my heart. The tiger would be dead. In her last
breath Irene would know that I was safe. That would be like Irene, my
dear Irene! But I would not suffer it. I could not speak, but I shook my
head.

"She did not try to say anything more, but she looked down upon me, and
so did the tiger. The two heads were not far from each other; they were
both regarding me. I grew almost crazy. Never was man placed in more
terrible straits than this.

"Suddenly a thought struck me. I seized more tightly the end of the
rope, and I ran. I ran to the river. I plunged, I bounded, I made such
great haste that sometimes I stumbled over obstacles, and sometimes the
balloon seemed to lift me from the ground; but on, on I went, on to the
river!

"When I reached the edge of the water I took courage to stop and look
up. They were both still gazing over the edge of the car, both with
their eyes strained upon me.

"Then boldly and fearlessly I walked into the river. I walked until the
water was up to my knees; until it reached my waist. I walked until the
surface of the water lapped my shoulders. I was not afraid; I am a good
swimmer. Irene now called down to me. It was plain she was becoming
reckless; she would know what I was going to do, no matter what effect
her words would have upon the tiger. If she thought I was about to
commit suicide, not daring to bear up under her coming fate, she would
dissuade me. It would be like her, that dear Irene!

"'What are you going to do?' she cried. And as I looked upward her eyes
and those of the tiger were steadily fixed on me.

"'You must get on the outside of the car again,' I cried. 'Do it
quickly, without disturbing him. Then I will pull you down, down, a
little at a time. When you are far enough down--and I will be the judge
of that--I will give you the word; then you must jump. It will not hurt
you; the water will break your fall, and I will save you. Think of
nothing else but your trust in me, and jump. The moment you leave the
car I let go the rope; then it will instantly be too far for him to
jump. Quick! Be ready when I give the word.' And as I spoke I hauled
steadily upon the rope.

"Irene looked at me for an instant, and then she stood up in the car. I
saw her put one foot upon the seat which surrounds it; then quickly
appeared the other foot upon the edge of the car. She raised both arms
and joined her hands above her head; she pushed herself between the
ropes and leaped. It was all the work of a second.

"She came down beautifully, head foremost. It was a splendid dive.
Relieved of her weight, the balloon gave a great jerk, and I let go the
rope.

"Irene went down into the water as cleanly and smoothly as if she had
been a diving duck. She scarcely made a splash. She was a magnificent
swimmer.

"As my dear Irene disappeared beneath the surface of the water I made
use of the rapid moments in which I could not expect to see her in
glancing upward. The tiger was rising rapidly. His head was stretched
out over the edge of the car; I could see his wild and frightened eyes.
He was afraid to jump.

"Then I turned to the water. The head of Irene had risen above it; she
was striking out bravely for the shore. She did not need my help. She is
a grand woman! In a few moments we stood beside each other on the shore.
I would have thrown myself into her arms; I would have embraced this
dear one, now my own again: but she was so wet; I was so wet. We seized
each other by the hands. It is impossible to say whether she wept or
not, her face was so wet.

"Then by a sudden instinct we looked upward. The balloon was high above
us, rising steadily. We could see the head of the tiger projecting from
the car--now such a little head, but I knew that he was gazing at me.
Then we heard a sound which came down from above. It was the tiger's
roar, but it was such a little roar! I clasped more tightly the hand of
my Irene; we did not speak, but gazed steadily upward at the balloon,
which had reached a current of air which was carrying it across the
country. The sun was now very hot; the gas was expanding; the balloon
was rising higher and higher and higher.

"We stood holding each other's hands and gazing. At last there was but a
little black spot in the sky; then it faded and shivered, and was gone.
Side by side we moved away. We were very wet, but the sun was hot.

"Suddenly I spoke. I could not restrain my burning desire to look deep
into the soul of Irene. I owed it to my love of her to know the extent
of her love for me. Those words which she called down from the car,
which might have been her last words on earth, what were they? I asked
her.

"'I said,' she answered, 'that if you would pick up that rifle you threw
out, and stand ready, I would jerk open the safety-valve. I would then
take up my rifle, and when the car came down we would both shoot him.
But you shook your head, and I said no more.'

"I did not answer, but in my heart I said: 'O woman! What art thou,
and of what strange feelings art thou made! Thou hast the beauty
of the flower and the intellect of the leaf. To let that awful
black-and-yellow fiend descend to the earth! To call up to a cruel
death and ask it to come down-stairs and meet you on the lowest step!
Skies! How can the mind of man conceive of it?'

"And leaving the shores of the river, we toiled homeward over the dreary
wastes."

The company were all much interested in this narrative--almost painfully
interested. They said as much to the Frenchman, and he was pleased at
the impression he had felt sure he would make, and which he always did
make, when he told that story. They talked of hunts and wild beasts, but
there were no comments upon the story itself. Each one had his or her
own thought, however. The Master of the House thought: "What a clever
woman!" The Mistress of the House thought: "Just like a Frenchman!" The
Next Neighbor wished she had been in the balloon to pitch the tiger on
him. The Daughter of the House was fascinated at the idea of the
vicinity of the beautiful, ferocious tiger. And John Gayther thought, as
he looked wistfully at the Daughter of the House: "I am glad he has a
wife!"




                       THIS STORY IS TOLD BY

                         POMONA AND JONAS

                           AND IS CALLED

                    THE FOREIGN PRINCE AND THE
                         HERMIT'S DAUGHTER




VII

THE FOREIGN PRINCE AND THE HERMIT'S DAUGHTER


The Frenchman went away; and after him there was a succession of
visitors to the house who were not interested in gardens and were
therefore not introduced within the sacred precincts of the summer-house
on the upper terrace. The young people took a fancy to a pretty rustic
arbor in a secluded spot; but whether it was because they especially
admired that part of the garden did not transpire.

But the guests left, one after another; and finally there came to visit
the family Euphemia and her Husband. They were old and intimate friends
of the family, and the very morning after their arrival they all
repaired to the summer-house which overlooked the garden. There was some
conversation about the garden,--its beautiful things, and its useful
products, and its antiquity,--for Euphemia loved the old garden and its
traditions.

The two gentlemen, provided with comfortable chairs, smoked their cigars
in peacefulness and content, and the Daughter of the House seemed
absorbed in some fancy work. But after some time the Master of the
House, turning suddenly to Euphemia's Husband, asked: "What has become
of Jonas and Pomona?"

"Here they are to answer for themselves!" cried the Daughter of the
House, springing up, as John Gayther ushered into the garden the Next
Neighbor, followed by Pomona and Jonas. The Next Neighbor was also
on intimate terms with Euphemia and her Husband, and a devoted and
rapturous admirer of Pomona. The couple had descended upon her the night
before in a most unexpected fashion, but she gave them a hearty welcome,
and rejoiced in them, even after she discovered that she owed the visit
to a desire on the part of her guests to see Euphemia's Husband. They
knew where he was visiting, but had thought it wiser to go to the Next
Neighbor to pay their little visit. And so the explanation of this
apparently strange meeting of so many old friends was simple enough.

Chairs and benches were found, and John Gayther brought his stool
unasked and joined the party. He had no idea of missing that
conversation.

It was soon evident that, while Jonas was as tranquil as usual, Pomona
had something on her mind--that she had come with a purpose; and as soon
as the inquiries and explanations were over, she addressed the Husband
of Euphemia with great earnestness:

"Jone and me came to see you, sir, about something particular; and as we
are all friends here, I may as well say it right out."

"The more you say the better we shall be pleased!" the Master of the
House exclaimed.

Pomona nodded to him, but turned again to the Husband of Euphemia.

"We've been told, sir, that some editors have been asking you to get us
to enter fiction again; and what we want to say is that we don't want to
enter it no more. What we did when we was in it was all very well, but
that's past and gone, although I've said to Jone a good many more times
than once that if I had to do this or that thing now, that's set down in
the book, I'd do it different. But then he always answers that if I'd
done that I'd have spoiled the story, and so there was no more to say on
that subject. What we've done we gladly did, and we're more than glad we
did it for you, sir. But as for doing it again, we can't do it, for it
ain't in us. Even if we tried to do the best we could for you, all you'd
get would be something like skim-milk--good enough for cottage cheese
and bonnyclabber, but nothing like good fresh milk with the cream on
it."

"I think you are perfectly right," said Euphemia. "If you don't want to
go into fiction again you ought not to be made to do it."

"I would not do such a wicked thing as to put anybody in fiction who did
not want to go there," gravely replied the Husband of Euphemia.

At these words the load that was on Pomona's mind dropped from it
entirely.

"Now, sir," said she, "we've got another thing to say; and it will seem
queer to you after what we've said already. We do want to go into
fiction, but not the way we was in it before. The fact is that between
us we've written a story, and we've brought it with us, hoping you
wouldn't mind letting Jone read it to you. Of course we was expecting to
read it to only two; but as we've got to go back to-day, if the rest of
the folks don't mind, Jone can read it anyway."

"I should like it above all things!" exclaimed the Next Neighbor.

"We will not let you go away until it is read," said the Mistress of the
House.

"Oh, I do want to hear it!" cried the Daughter of the House.

"Of course Jonas must read it," was Euphemia's quiet comment.

"Heave ahead!" called out the Master of the House.

Pomona smiled gratefully. "It isn't a very long story, but we've been a
long time working at it, and we wouldn't think of such a thing as
calling it finished until our friends has heard it."

The quiet and good-natured Jonas now drew a manuscript from his pocket
and began.

"The name of my story," said he, "is 'The Foreign Prince and the
Hermit's Daughter.'"

"We thought of a good many other names for it," said Pomona, "and I
wanted to call it 'The Groundless Prince'; but Jone he said that
groundless applies to things there is no reason for, and as so many
princes are of that kind, somebody's feelings might be hurt. And so I
gave in."

"Now this is the way the story begins," said Jonas. "In that period of
time which is not modern, and yet is not too far back, and in which a
great many out-of-the-way things have happened, a certain young Prince
went travelling in foreign parts of the world with the general purpose
of broadening his mind. He wanted to study the manners and customs of
other nations in order that he might better know how to govern his own
people.

"But when, after several years' absence, he came back to the place of
his nativity, he found that neighboring nations had made war upon his
country--that they had conquered his army and subjugated his people, and
had partitioned his principality among themselves. Consequently he found
himself in a strange position: he had gone forth to visit foreign lands,
and now he returned to find himself a foreigner on the very spot where
he was born. In fact, his nationality had been swept away; his country
had disappeared.

"But he was still a prince. Nothing could deprive him of his noble
birth. But to all the world, save to one person, he was an alien prince,
and must always so continue. The exception was a Single Adherent, who
had followed him when he began his travels, and whose loyal spirit would
not suffer him to leave his master now.

"Slowly, with crossed arms and head bent low, the Prince strode away
from the place that had once been his home, his Single Adherent
following his footsteps.

"After a long day's journey they came to a little valley chiefly
remarkable for streams and rocks. Here, at the entrance of a commodious
cave, he beheld an elderly hermit seated upon a stone, calmly surveying
the sunset sky. The hermit looked up with a pleasant smile, for it had
been long since a traveller had passed that way; and, perceiving that
the stranger was not only well-bred but tired, invited him to take a
seat upon a stone near by his own, at the same time motioning the
Adherent to a smaller stone at a little distance.

"In reply to the numerous questions of the hermit, the Prince soon told
his story.

"'Well, well!' exclaimed the hermit. 'Then you are the Prince Ferrando.
I might have known it, for you so closely resemble your father.'

"'You knew him, then?' inquired the Prince.

"'I have often seen him,' the hermit replied. 'The likeness is
wonderful. And so you have come back to find that your principality does
not exist. It is a strange condition of things; but believe me--I
mingled a great deal with the world before I came to this cave, and I
know what I am talking about--when I tell you that there are many
potentates who would be glad to come back from a journey and to find
that their dominions had ceased to exist, and that with them had
disappeared all the trials, responsibilities, and dangers of
sovereignty.'

"'But I am not that sort of person,' said Ferrando. 'I do not allow care
to oppress me; I do not shrink from responsibility; I am not afraid of
danger. I travelled far to broaden my mind; I came back prepared to
reign wisely over my subjects. But I have no subjects, and therefore I
cannot exercise that enlightened rule for which I have, with so much
toil and study, prepared myself. Wherever I go I must always be an
absolute alien, and as such I must try to learn to consider myself.'

"'Cheer up, my friend,' said the hermit. 'You are too young to give up
things in that way. And now allow me, sir, to introduce you to my
daughter.'

"Ferrando sprang up quickly, and beheld standing near him a very
handsome young woman carrying a large basket filled with water-cress.
The Prince bowed low. 'It is very unusual, I think,' said he, 'for a
hermit to have a daughter.'

"The hermit smiled. 'Yes,' said he; 'it is rather out of the common; but
when I came here to seek rest and peace within these rocky walls, my
daughter could not be dissuaded from accompanying me.'

"'It is plain that she possesses a noble soul,' said the Prince, again
bowing low.

"'I wonder if he ever thinks that of me?' the Single Adherent asked
himself, as he stood respectfully by his low stone.

"When the hermit's daughter had been made aware of Ferrando's former
station and his misfortunes, she went away to prepare supper. The meal
was soon ready, and consisted of cress fresh from the spring, fried
cress, and toasted cress, with cress tea, and also freshly drawn water
from a spring."

"Poor young man!" exclaimed the Next Neighbor. "So tired and hungry! Was
that all they had to give him?"

"Of course," explained Pomona; "hermits never eat anything but
water-cress."

"After supper," continued Jonas, "the hermit filled a pipe with dried
water-cress, and offered another to his guest, and the three sat at the
entrance of the cave and discussed the Prince's affairs, in which the
hermit and his daughter seemed to take a lively interest. At a little
distance on the small stone sat the Single Adherent, also smoking a pipe
of water-cress, and his inability to enjoy this novel sensation was
plainly evident in the radiant beams of the full moon. In the course of
an hour the Prince and his Adherent retired to a guest-cave near by; but
the hermit and his daughter sat up far into the night discussing the
Prince and the peculiar circumstances in which he found himself.

"The next morning after breakfast, the principal dish of which was a
salmi of water-cress, the hermit, his daughter, and their guest held
council together; while the Adherent stood at a respectful distance, and
listened with earnest attention to all that was said.

"'My daughter and I,' said the hermit, 'agree that it is a lamentable
thing that a prince such as yourself, so eminently qualified to rule,
should have no opportunity to exercise his abilities for sovereignty;
therefore we think the best thing you can do is to rent a principality
for a term of years. In some ways this would be better than inheriting
one, for if you do not like it you can give it up at the end of the
term.'

"'But where could I find a principality to let?' exclaimed the Prince.
'I never heard of anything like that!'

"'Very likely,' said the hermit; 'but if you were to look around I think
you might find something to suit you which the reigning potentate might
be willing to lease.'

"'I am of my father's opinion,' said the hermit's daughter; 'and if you
will take my advice you will investigate the country north of this
valley. There are several principalities in that direction, and it would
not at all surprise me if, before the end of a day's journey, you were
to find something that could be rented.'

"The Prince was very much pleased with the interest taken in his affairs
by the hermit and his daughter, and he decided to follow their advice.
As he and his Single Adherent were about to depart, the hermit said to
him: 'I shall be very glad to hear from you, and, if you should succeed
in renting a principality, I will willingly give you any advice and
assistance in my power. When I mingled with the general world I saw a
great deal of governing and all that sort of thing, and it may be I can
give you some points which will be of advantage to you.'

"The Prince accepted with thankfulness the kind offer of his host, and
when he approached the daughter to take leave of her, she graciously
stuck a sprig of water-cress in his buttonhole.

"After walking a few miles the Prince and his Adherent stopped at a
roadside inn, where they ate an abnormal breakfast, and then, with
invigorated bodies, they continued their journey.

"Late in the afternoon the Prince became a little tired, and suggested
that they stop at a farm-house which stood near the road, and sojourn
there for the night. The Adherent, however, was of the opinion that they
should go on until they reached the crest of a hill before them; they
would then be able to survey the country. He placed a high opinion on
the statement of the hermit's daughter that they would be likely to find
what they wanted before nightfall.

"When they reached the crest of the hill they were delighted to see
before them, at no great distance, a small city. When they had
approached it nearer they perceived by the side of the great gate a
sign-board which bore the inscription:

                  PRINCIPALITY TO LET--FURNISHED
                  APPLY TO DOWAGER AT THE PALACE

"The Single Adherent nodded his head as he said to himself: 'This is
just about what I expected.'

"'That hermit's daughter,' said the Prince, 'is a remarkable young
woman, and her suppositions should not be disregarded.'

"After passing the night at an inn near the gate, the Prince and his
Single Adherent repaired to the palace to make inquiries regarding the
principality.

"The Dowager was a middle-aged woman dressed in rusty black, with a
quick eye and an eager expression. Having demanded references of
Ferrando, she declared herself perfectly satisfied with his statements,
for she had met his father, and the likeness was unmistakable. She told
him she would be very much pleased to have him for a tenant, and that
she was quite sure the principality would suit him exactly. She then
showed him all over the palace, the Adherent following and taking notice
of everything.

"The furniture and appointments of the princely mansion were somewhat
time-worn and shabby, and the Dowager, noticing the scrutinizing glances
of the Adherent, thought it wise to state that during the life of her
late husband everything in the palace had been kept in the most
admirable order; but of course it could not be supposed that she, by
herself, could go to the expense of new carpets and furniture-coverings.
She assured the Prince, however, that a very little expenditure of money
would make the palace look as bright and clean as if it had been
recently furnished.

"'Of course you have an army,' remarked the Prince.

"'Oh, yes,' said the Dowager; 'an excellent army--that is, considering
the size of my principality. The infantry is very good indeed. In fact,
I heard my late husband say, on an occasion when the infantry corps had
just been furnished with new uniforms, that he never saw a finer-looking
set of men. The cavalry is also in excellent condition. Of course in
time of peace it is not necessary to keep these men supplied with
horses, but in an agricultural country it is not difficult to obtain
horses whenever they are really needed.'

"'And the artillery?' inquired the Prince.

"'I am sorry to say,' replied the Dowager, 'that the artillery is not
yet supplied with cannon. It was the intention of my late husband to
furnish them with the necessary cannon, ammunition, horses, and all
that, but he never did so. And of course, being a woman, I could not be
expected to attend to such things. But I have no doubt whatever that you
can easily and inexpensively put this branch of the army on a proper
footing; that is, if you care for artillery.'

"The Prince asked no further questions about the army, but inquired if
the principality was furnished with a navy.

"'Oh, no,' said the Dowager; 'we have no waterfront, and my late husband
used often to say that this impossibility of having a navy saved him a
great deal of expense, to say nothing of the trouble warships might get
him into when they are out of sight in distant parts of the world.'

"At this point the Dowager was called out by a servant, who in a whisper
asked her if the visitors were going to stay to dinner. The Adherent
seized this opportunity to say in a low voice:

"'If your Royal Highness will excuse me, I will suggest that you ask if
there is a legislative body, and a judiciary.'

"The Dowager, having shaken her head at the servant, returned to the
Prince.

"'Have you a legislature?' asked the Prince.

"'Certainly,' she said. 'I cannot say that I think it is a very good
one, for I have more trouble with it than with anything else in the
principality; but it has now less than a year to run, and my advice
would be that you should not convene it again. My experience has taught
me that one can get along a great deal better without a legislative body
than with one. For my part, I do not approve of them at all.'

"'And a judiciary?' remarked the Prince. 'I suppose you have that.'

"The Dowager hesitated a moment as if she did not exactly understand;
but she recovered herself, and answered quickly: 'Oh, yes, we have one;
but I have so little to do with it that for the moment I forgot it. It
has been a very good one indeed, but it has been little used of late,
and it may be out of order. I have found that plain, straightforward
decrees from the throne are a great deal cheaper and a great deal
quicker in their operation than a judicial decision. But if you desire a
regularly organized judiciary, it will not cost you much to establish
one, if you do not employ your judges by the month or year. I find
piece-work a great deal more satisfactory, and you can get so much law
for nothing in this country that it is not worth while giving much for
it when you have to pay.'

"The countenance of the Single Adherent had been growing darker and
darker, and he now stepped up to the Prince.

"'Your Royal Highness,' said he, 'it might be well to speak of the
rent.'

"When the Prince asked the Dowager how much she wanted per year for her
principality, she did not immediately answer, but reflected, with her
chin in her hand; and then, turning to the Prince, she stated the
amount.

"'You must understand,' she added, 'that I would not rent this
principality to every one for such a sum as that; but as I know you
to be a regular prince who will appreciate the advantages and
responsibilities of a place like this, and, as you are unmarried,
without encumbrances of any sort, I presume, I would much prefer to
let it to you, even at a lower price, than to rent it to a perfect
stranger.'

"When the Adherent heard the sum mentioned by the Dowager his
countenance grew almost black, and Prince Ferrando stood in silent
amazement.

"'It would be impossible for me to pay such a sum as that,' he said at
last. 'I have studied political economy, and am familiar with the
principles of internal revenue, and the income to be derived from
ordinary taxes and imposts in a principality of this size would not
enable me to pay that sum.'

"'Oh, you are very much mistaken!' cried the Dowager. 'Of course, as a
woman, I have not been able to make the principality pay me what it
ought to; but my late husband received a very good revenue from it, and
I am sure you could do the same, if not a great deal better: for my late
husband was not a good business man; he thought too much of other
people and not enough of his family.'

"The Prince looked at his Adherent, and the latter shook his head
violently.

"'It is impossible,' said Prince Ferrando; 'I cannot pay such a sum as
that'; and he rose to go.

"'Of course,' said the Dowager, hastily, 'if you think that is too much,
and that you would not be able to pay it, I might take off something in
your case. I would not do this for everybody, but as it is you, I will
take off one per cent. of the amount I have named.'

"For a moment Ferrando stood undecided. He greatly wanted the
principality; he would be homeless and forlorn without one; and yet this
Dowager was asking him a most outrageous price.

"'I will consider this matter,' said he, 'and if you will give me the
refusal of the principality for twenty-four hours I will see you again
to-morrow.'

"The Dowager considered this request as favorable to her interests, and,
fearing that she had asked him too little, she added: 'Of course, in
case of a reduction like this, it must be stipulated in the lease that I
reserve some rooms in the palace where I shall board at your expense.
You cannot expect me to accept a reduced rent, and to be turned out of
my house besides.'

"The Prince bowed; and, without reply, he and his Adherent left the
palace, followed by the eager, wistful glances of the Dowager. When they
reached the inn the Prince said to his Single Adherent:

"'I am greatly troubled, and I wish I had the advice of that good
hermit. I will write a letter to him, and you shall take it. But you
must not walk that long distance; to-morrow you will hire a vehicle and
go to the hermit.'

"The Prince wrote his letter, and the Adherent took it to the hermit.
The good man and his daughter read it with the greatest interest, and
retired to the back of the cave to consider it. Presently the hermit
approached the Single Adherent. 'Is there room in your vehicle for three
persons?' said he. Receiving an affirmative answer, he continued: 'Then
my daughter and I will go back with you. We think the Prince is in
danger of making a very bad bargain; and as we know a great deal about
these things, we believe that our presence and advice will be of great
advantage to him.'

"So, after the horse had all the water-cress it could eat, the little
party started back to the city."

"They must have been the first real-estate agents," remarked the Master
of the House.

Pomona was about to reply, but Jonas gave no time:

"When the Prince heard the sound of the wheels, and came down to the
door of the inn, he was amazed and delighted to see the hermit and his
daughter, and welcomed them with unusual ardor.

"'Of all the people in the world,' he exclaimed, 'I am most happy to see
you! I am in great trouble and difficulty, and I want your advice and
counsel.'

"'Which is what we came to give you,' said the good hermit, as he warmly
pressed the hand of the Prince.

"After supper the Prince and his guests retired to an inner room for
consultation, while the Adherent stood in the background. After some
discussion it was decided that early in the morning the Prince should
go to the palace, and should agree to lease the principality for five
years, provided the Dowager would accept one half the sum she had
originally asked; and that he should also absolutely refuse to board the
Dowager, or to allow her to reserve any part of the palace for her own
use. He would promise to pay one quarter's rent in advance if these
terms were agreed upon on the spot.

"It was nearly high noon on the following day that the Dowager left the
palace, taking with her all her belongings. As she departed she turned
and cast a black look at the Adherent.

"'It is to his advice,' she said to herself, 'that I owe this very bad
bargain that I have made. If that young fellow had been left to himself
he would have agreed to everything I demanded.'

"For an hour or two before she left the Prince had been wandering around
the premises, impatiently waiting for her departure. As soon as she was
gone, he called to his Adherent, and sent him to the inn to summon the
hermit and his daughter to his presence. He wished to be grateful to
these good friends, but, as he had a respect to appearances, he did not
desire the Dowager to know that these humble persons were to be his
first guests in the palace.

"When the hermit and his daughter arrived at the palace they received a
princely welcome, and Ferrando informed them that he wished them to make
him a visit of at least a week.

"'You have been so good to me that I wish to do the best for you; and so
I have arranged that you shall occupy the state suite in the right
wing.'

"'We are thankful for this great honor,' said the hermit; 'but, if it
would please your Royal Highness, we should prefer the corresponding
rooms in the left wing. We think they will suit us better.'

"The Prince raised his eyebrows in surprise, but he gave orders that his
guests' wishes should be gratified. The Adherent, who was standing in
the background, raised his eyebrows also; but he was not surprised.

"In about half an hour the hermit and his daughter rejoined the Prince
in the grand hall. To his utter amazement, Ferrando beheld his guests
dressed in rich and handsome garments.

"'Did they bring any trunks with them?' he whispered to his Adherent, as
they approached.

"'No, your Royal Highness,' was the answer. 'They brought nothing but a
basket of water-cress, which the lady said had been freshly picked and
ought not to be wasted.'

"With great dignity the hermit advanced to the Prince, and by his side
walked his daughter, who was so beautiful in her silks and laces that
the Prince found it impossible to remove his eyes from her.

"'In order to explain this change in our appearance,' said the hermit,
'I will state that the Dowager from whom you rented this principality is
my brother's widow. Before he died he arranged that the Dowager should
reign over the principality as long as she lived, and that my daughter
should then succeed her. At the same time, knowing that his wife did not
understand the governing of principalities, he appointed me Assistant
Prince, with a salary. This seemed like a very good plan, but it did
not work. The Dowager soon showed such a disposition to meddle with
everything that was going on that my position gradually became so
intolerable that I determined to retire to a hermit's cell, to which my
daughter accompanied me.'

"With his mind scarcely able to grasp the situation, the Prince gazed
from the one to the other of his guests. 'Can it be possible,' he said
presently, 'that in renting this principality I have interfered with
your prospects?'

"'Oh, not at all, not at all,' replied the hermit. 'In the first place,
you have given us the great honor of visiting you and of occupying our
old suite of apartments. I cannot describe to your Royal Highness the
pleasure I felt when I saw my dressing-gown hanging on its accustomed
hook, with my favorite slippers beneath it.'

"'I take back my invitation for a week!' cried the Prince. 'Now that I
know who you are, you must stay with me for a long time. I wish you
could stay always,' he added, his eyes still fixed upon the beautiful
young woman. Then, as if to explain this outburst of interest, he said:
'You know, I rely so much on your advice and counsel, and there is no
knowing what that Dowager may do next.'

"'You are right,' said the ex-hermit; 'there is no possible way of
knowing. But a plan has suggested itself to me which I think may relieve
you of any possible annoyance or molestation. My idea is that you shall
marry my daughter. Then, in virtue of your lease, you will reign over
the principality, and she will be your consort. After a time, when the
Dowager departs this life, my daughter, by virtue of inheritance, will
reign over the principality, and you will be her consort. Thus you see
the Dowager will have no show at all.'

"The countenance of the Prince shone like the sun. 'A heaven-born plan!'
he cried. 'From the moment I saw your daughter with the basket of
water-cress, I loved her. By your permission, I will embrace her.'

"The permission was given, and he embraced her. She might have said
that, from the moment she had understood the peculiar circumstances in
which the Prince had found himself, her heart had gone out to him like a
dove seeking the nest of its partner; but she did not think it needful
to occupy the time with unnecessary statements.

"'Your Royal Highness,' said the Adherent, approaching with a bow, 'I
think it is only right to inform you that the Dowager, when she left,
said to me that she would return early in the afternoon to superintend
the removal of her parrots.'

"'What!' cried the Prince. 'Haven't those beastly birds gone yet? Send
them after her without the loss of a minute. I don't want to see her
back here again.'

"The ex-hermit, who had drawn his daughter aside for a few words of
consultation, now advanced with uplifted hands. 'Nay,' said he; 'if you
will excuse me, I think I can suggest a better plan than that. The old
lady is bound to come back, and the sooner she comes and goes, the
better; but we should be prepared for her. I suggest that a priest be
summoned, and that you and my daughter be married immediately. Our
position in the palace will then be assured, and the Dowager will have
nothing to say, either about our presence here or about anything else.
How does my plan suit your Royal Highness?'

"Ferrando did not answer, but, turning to the Adherent, he ordered him
to summon a priest without delay, and to order the assemblage in the
great hall of all the courtiers and servants who could be found. The
Adherent sped away on his errand, and as he did so he smiled and said to
himself: 'She is a better manager than the old woman! And her views are
broader!'

"When the marriage ceremony had been concluded, the Prince ordered a
sumptuous wedding-feast to be spread. But he was soon informed that
there was nothing to eat in the house, for the Dowager had not thought
it at all incumbent upon her to provide eatables for her tenant.

"'It matters not!' cried the ex-hermit, his face glowing with pleasure.
'There will be time enough to provide a good supper. And, in the
meantime, what could be more appropriate for a wedding-repast than the
basket of cress which my daughter brought with her?'

"A table was spread, with a great dish of water-cress in the centre. And
it may be remarked that the Prince was so wild with delight that if this
had been suddenly changed to one containing fried chicken with cream
gravy he would not have perceived the difference.

"Early in the afternoon the Dowager returned to the palace to
superintend the removal of her parrots. As she entered the great hall
she perceived the wedding-party waiting to receive her; and her
amazement was such that her toes turned upward and she sat down with
great suddenness in a chair which the Adherent thoughtfully placed
behind her.

"'How do you do, my dear sister-in-law?' said the ex-hermit. 'I do not
wonder you are surprised to see us here, and in order to relieve your
mind I will instantly explain the state of affairs.' Whereupon he
explained them.

"The Dowager then found her voice and her strength. Springing to her
feet, she cried: 'This is a plot! I have been deceived, and the lease is
void. Not one of you has any right in this palace, and I hereby order
you out.'

"The ex-hermit smiled, and drew a paper from his pocket. 'Before we obey
your orders, my dear sister-in-law,' he remarked, 'I wish to call your
attention to a little business matter. You will remember that when I was
here with you, acting as your assistant, you found great difficulty in
paying me my salary. The first year you told me to take it out of the
customs duties. The sum I received was not equal to the amount due me,
but I made no complaint. The second year I was obliged to rely on the
taxes on internal production; but as you required most of the income
from this source, I found myself very short of money at the end of the
year. The third year I was obliged to rely upon the taxes on pew-rents;
and that, as you are aware, yielded me almost nothing. After that you
paid me no salary at all. Here is my bill for the money due me. But if
you cannot conveniently pay me, I will agree, in the presence of these
good friends, to postpone the settlement until the next time I lay my
eyes upon you. If you do not then pay me, I shall then levy upon your
personal possessions.'

"The Dowager glared at the Princess Ferrando, and, having shaken her
long forefinger at that beautiful young lady, she departed, and was
never seen in the palace again."

Here Jonas folded the paper.

"Is that the end?" asked the Daughter of the House.

"That is all there is of it," said Jonas, sententiously.

"I thought," said the Daughter of the House, "that the story would tell
how he governed his rented principality, and if he ever got his own. I
worked it out in my mind like a flash that he would govern so well that
his own people would go to him and beg him to govern them."