AN ABSOLUTE MONARCH.
Upon this tableau the curtain came down; but the applause was really
so deafening that all the performers--including, of course, the King
and the donkey--had to come out and pass before the footlights: when
the donkey got a bouquet, and the King a bunch of turniptops. They
then returned to the stage and took their places as before, and the
curtain went up again.
During several seconds the King lay quite still, with the Chancellor
underneath him; and Yellow-cap began to feel uneasy, for he reflected
that if the King should lie still permanently his own position might
become awkward. He spoke of this in a low tone to Silvia, who was
coquetting with her sweetheart the donkey-driver across the donkey's
back.
'No need to be alarmed, your Lordship,' replied she composedly. 'His
Majesty is only a little out of breath. The stomach of an hereditary
monarch is, you know, the strongest thing about him. He will be all
right directly.'
In fact, hardly had she done speaking when the King gave a cough and
raised himself to a sitting posture. He really seemed none the worse
for what had happened; in spite of which Yellow-cap could not help
feeling glad that he had not been in the King's place.
'Where is the Chancellor of the Jingle?' demanded the King as soon as
he could speak. 'Why does he not come forward and give his judgment as
umpire? Where is he, I say? By my crown and sceptre if he does not
appear and answer this instant I will have his head cut off!'
'Pardon me, my dear sir,' said Yellow-cap, 'if I say that the
Chancellor would probably have given his judgment before now, if you
had not yourself put difficulties in the way of his doing so. You are
at this moment sitting upon the man's face, and it would therefore be
impossible if not disrespectful for him to say anything until your
Majesty has arisen. If you will let me pull you up he will be ready
to obey your commands--unless,' he added aside to Silvia, 'he is
actually crushed to death.'
'No fear of that,' Silvia replied cheerfully. 'The face of a real
Chancellor of the Jingle is the most impenetrable thing about him; and
I have no doubt that he is smiling at this very minute.'
And in fact hardly had the King raised himself erect than the
Chancellor jumped to his feet, with a most charming smile; and having
bowed to the King, to Yellow-cap, and to the audience, he spoke
thus:--
'In the drawing of lots his Transparent Majesty King Ormund has been
successful; and therefore his Royal Highness Prince Yellow-cap has won
the wager.'
'Capital--capital!' exclaimed the King, rubbing his hands and stamping
about the stage gleefully. 'But you,' he added, turning to the
Chancellor of the Jingle, 'must, of course, have your head cut off
just the same.'
At this a couple of halberdiers approached and laid their hands on the
culprit's shoulders.
Yellow-cap had at first thought that to lose his head would serve the
Chancellor only right; but, as he was averse to bloodshed, and as his
own affairs seemed to be going on so prosperously, he resolved to be
merciful.
'Allow me a word,' he said. 'Since I have won the wager I thereby
succeed to King Ormund's throne and sceptre, and by virtue of the
power in me vested I do hereby extend to the Chancellor my royal
clemency. Loose him, halberdiers, on your allegiance!'
The halberdiers hesitated; and King Ormund, stroking his beard
meditatively, said, 'I'm not sure about this. You haven't been crowned
yet, you know.'
'At all events I am as much king as anybody here,' Yellow-cap replied
firmly. 'And meanwhile I advise anybody who cares to keep his head on
his shoulders to obey my commands.'
'I'll tell you what we might do,' exclaimed the King brightly: 'we
might draw lots----'
'No; I refuse to leave affairs of State to chance. But, in order to
oblige you in every way I can, I will appoint the Chancellor of the
Jingle referee. He shall decide whether or not his head is to be cut
off; and I promise to abide by his decision.'
'Hum!' said the King. 'Ha! well, that certainly does seem fair.
Besides, one must have some consideration for the poor donkey. I
agree, then. Now, Mr. Chancellor, what is your decision?'
'My head stays where it is, please your Majesty,' replied the
Chancellor promptly.
'It's astonishing what a run of luck you are having!' exclaimed the
King, turning to Yellow-cap, with a sigh of admiration. 'Pray, are you
as fortunate in love as you seem to be in everything else?'
At this question there rose in Yellow-cap's mind the picture of a
little square room, with bright walls and clean sanded floor; a churn
in one corner, and a brightly polished tin pan upon the dresser in
place of a looking-glass. In this room stood a lovely young girl, with
tears in her eyes, but a smile dimpling her rosy cheeks. She was
looking up with a loving glance at a young man, who was fastening
round her neck, by a bit of ribbon, the half of a spade guinea.
Yellow-cap passed his hand over his eyes: the picture had vanished.
'What are you dreaming about?' said the voice of Silvia in his ear.
'The half of a brass farthing is just as good, if you will only think
so. And you have not yet answered his Majesty's question.'
'Ah! I beg pardon,' muttered Yellow-cap. 'I--what did you say?
I--yes--that is--no! No, I am not so fortunate in love as I seem to be
in other things. Ah me! Rosamund!'
'Well, well,' said the King, with a particularly arch look, 'I dare
say we shall be able to do you a good turn in that way too.'
'Is this the place where kings are crowned?' demanded Yellow-cap.
'Certainly; where else could it be?' returned the King.
'Then I will be crowned this moment,' said Yellow-cap in the
commanding tone which he had found it best to use towards these London
people. 'Is there an Archbishop present? And let somebody fetch a
throne!'
'Here is the throne, please your Worship,' said the half-witted youth,
leading forward the donkey.
'And here is the Archbishop, at your service,' said one of the persons
in the white dominoes, making a bow.
'That won't do,' said Yellow-cap sharply. 'You are the Prime
Maniac--only you have shaved your moustachios.'
'That makes all the difference, please your Highness,' replied the
other humbly.
'And now I look at you again,' continued Yellow-cap, 'I think I
remember you before you were a Prime Maniac. I remember you when you
were only three feet high.'
'It is all the same,' answered the other again. 'I rise to the
occasion.'
'Well, it makes no difference, I suppose,' said Yellow-cap, after a
pause, bestriding the donkey's back. 'Now for the crown!'
King Ormund took the crown from his brow and handed it to the
Archbishop, who put it on Yellow-cap's head, over the yellow cap. Then
all the courtiers round about murmured their congratulations, the
audience that filled the theatre shouted 'Hooray!' and 'Encore!' the
ex-King clapped him on the shoulder and said, 'Bless you, my boy!' and
Silvia whispered in his ear, 'Now you are King!'
'Long live King Yellow-cap!' roared everybody.
'How do you like it?' asked Ormund pleasantly.
'I feel about as I did before,' replied the new King, in a slightly
disappointed tone. 'How much does this crown weigh? Haven't you a
lighter one?'
'No; and you won't find that one grow any lighter,' said Ormund, with
a chuckle. 'But if you don't feel any difference I do! I am ten years
younger already. I am positively light-headed.'
'Well, at all events I am a King!' said Yellow-cap.
'And now,' observed Ormund, rubbing his hands and glancing at Silvia,
'since the coronation is over, what do you say to our having the
wedding?'
'Yes--yes; the wedding!' echoed all the courtiers.
Silvia arranged the ribbon at her throat, looked coquettishly at King
Yellow-cap, and murmured in his ear--
'What says your Majesty? There is no time like the present.'
'Wedding!' repeated King Yellow-cap, turning from one to another.
'Whose wedding?'
'Whose but your own, gracious liege!' replied the courtiers.
'My own! Nonsense! Whom should I marry?'
'Whom but Silvia, most puissant prince?' said the courtiers again.
'Silvia? Why, she is barmaid at the inn! And besides, she is engaged
to marry somebody else.'
'Ah, you mean the Prince of Sprats,' remarked the ex-King. 'But that
match is broken off. Since you are on the throne he is in opposition,
and can only be considered a pretender; but Silvia is a princess of
the blood, cousin-german of the dynasty, and Columbine into the
bargain; so she can marry nobody but you.'
'That fellow who owns the donkey the Prince of Sprats?' cried
Yellow-cap. 'He the son of King Ormund?'
'Prince Assimund--yes. I spoke to you of him yesterday. A little queer
in the head, you know, but that is only a sign of his royalty.'
'All this may be so,' replied Yellow-cap, stroking his chin; 'but as
to my marrying Silvia--that seems rather sudden.'
'Not more sudden than agreeable, if I were in your place,' observed
the ex-King, with a twinkle in his eye which made the pit laugh.
'Besides,' continued Yellow-cap, 'I have an indistinct notion that
once--somewhere--I loved--but, no! What with the cap and crown
together I can remember nothing. And perhaps Silvia may be she, after
all; she looks something like her; but yet----'
'If your Majesty will let me hang this half of a brass farthing round
your neck,' interrupted Silvia, 'you will have no more doubts about
the matter.' And as she spoke she held the farthing towards him, with
a mischievous smile.
'But don't you care at all for Assimund?' he asked her.
'The interests of the State are supreme,' returned Silvia with a grand
air.
'Well, if I must, I must,' said King Yellow-cap rather ungraciously.
'But I thought the Kings of England could do what they pleased.'
'Oh, dear, no,' exclaimed the Archbishop, 'Magna Charta forbid!'
'Then I wish----' began Yellow-cap.
But he paused. What had he left to wish? He stretched out his hand to
take the half of the brass farthing.
At that moment there was a great noise and confusion at the back of
the stage, and half the audience sprang to their feet, supposing that
the theatre had caught fire. But out of the confusion was dragged
forward a sort of cart, in which a number of persons were seated, with
veils over their faces, and their hands tied behind their backs.
Yellow-cap saw that one of these persons was a woman.