as brought about an
enormous improvement in the public feeling. We were cheered, my boy,
actually _cheered_!"

"It may be some time before you're cheered again, Guv'nor," said
Clarence. "I mean, you made a grand mistake in letting that little
perisher Xuriel sell those tables of his 'Under Royal patronage,' and
I'm afraid you'll hear of it before long."

"Eh, why, what's _wrong_ with them? They seemed to give perfect
satisfaction. Have there been any complaints?"

"There'll be lots if they all go like mine has. When I came in just now
I was feeling a bit peckish, so I got out my table. It laid itself right
enough, only the wine was stiff with wriggly things like tadpoles--and,
when I lifted the dish-cover, I'm hanged if there weren't a couple of
great fat snakes under it, hissing like tea-kettles! And I paid the
beggar a sack and a half of ducats for that table!"

"Most untradesmanlike!" said King Sidney indignantly. "Of course you can
make him return the money! No, you can't, though, I forgot--the fellow's
bolted!"

"I wasn't thinking so much of that," said Clarence, "but suppose all the
_other_ johnnies who've bought tables find they're wrong 'uns, and want
their money back--from _us_?"

"They wouldn't have a leg to stand on, my boy. It's a clear case of
'Caveat emptor.' But, after all, there's no reason at present to suppose
the other tables are--hem--in a similar condition to yours."

"It's to be hoped not," said Clarence. "There'll be the devil's own row
if they are."

Unfortunately it soon appeared that they were, and the numerous persons
in Eswareinmal who had purchased them felt their grievance so strongly
that they sent a large and somewhat turbulent deputation to demand an
audience from His Majesty.

King Sidney received them, indeed he could not very well avoid doing so,
as they forced their way to his presence. He did his best to reason
with them, pointing out the undeniable fact that no guarantee had been
given that the tables would last for ever, and that it was scarcely
surprising if, after being in constant use, they should begin to show
symptoms of wear and tear--a phrase which had the effect of infuriating
them almost to madness. Nor were they pacified when he quoted his maxim
of "Caveat emptor," and pointed out that, if people _would_ invest in
magic tables, some degree of trickery was only to be expected. His
arguments were lost on them. They had discovered somehow that the
greater part o