g sooner or later, and I shall be sent for. Meanwhile the Professors
will be living in fear of intrigue on my part, and I, however
unreasonably, shall fear the like on theirs. This should not be. I
mean, therefore, on the day following my return from escorting the
prisoner, to set out for the capital, see the King, and make a clean
breast of the whole matter. To this end I must have the nuggets, the
prisoner's kit, his receipt, Professor Hanky's handkerchief, and, of
course, the two depositions just sworn to by the Professors. I hope and
think that the King will pardon us all round; but whatever he may do I
shall tell him everything."

Hanky was up in arms at once. "Sheer madness," he exclaimed. Yram and
the Mayor looked anxious; Dr. Downie eyed George as though he were some
curious creature, which he heard of but had never seen, and was rather
disposed to like. Mrs. Humdrum nodded her head approvingly.

"Quite right, George," said she, "tell his Majesty everything."

Dr. Downie then said, "Your son, Mayoress, is a very sensible fellow. I
will go with him, and with the Professors--for they had better come too:
each will hear what the other says, and we will tell the truth, the whole
truth, and nothing but the truth. I am, as you know, a _persona grata_
at Court; I will say that I advised your son's action. The King has
liked him ever since he was a boy, and I am not much afraid about what he
will do. In public, no doubt we had better hush things up, but in
private the King must be told."

Hanky fought hard for some time, but George told him that it did not
matter whether he agreed or no. "You can come," he said, "or stop away,
just as you please. If you come, you can hear and speak; if you do not,
you will not hear, but these two depositions will speak for you. Please
yourself."

"Very well," he said at last, "I suppose we had better go."

Every one having now understood what his or her part was to be, Yram said
they had better shake hands all round and take a couple of hours' rest
before getting ready for the banquet. George said that the Professors
did not shake hands with him very cordially, but the farce was gone
through. When the hand-shaking was over, Dr. Downie and Mrs. Humdrum
left the house, and the Professors retired grumpily to their own room.

I will say here that no harm happened either to George or the Professors
in consequence of his having told the King, but will reserve particular