aveling incognito, when kings go off like that. They all do it--It's
the only way they can ever have a good time. Then the week you're away
you can spend lolling on the beach back there with the snail. How's
that?"

"I'd like to," said the Doctor. "It sounds most attractive. But there's
that new theatre to be built; none of our carpenters would know how to
get those rafters on without me to show them--And then there are the
babies: these native mothers are so frightfully ignorant."

"Oh bother the theatre--and the babies too," snapped Polynesia. "The
theatre can wait a week. And as for babies, they never have anything
more than colic. How do you suppose babies got along before you came
here, for heaven's sake?--Take a holiday.... You need it."

THE SIXTH CHAPTER. THE LAST CABINET MEETING

FROM the way Polynesia talked, I guessed that this idea of a holiday was
part of her plan.

The Doctor made no reply; and we walked on silently towards the town. I
could see, nevertheless that her words had made an impression on him.

After supper he disappeared from the palace without saying where he was
going--a thing he had never done before. Of course we all knew where he
had gone: back to the beach to sit up with the snail. We were sure of it
because he had said nothing to Bumpo about attending to the matter.

As soon as the doors were closed upon the Cabinet Meeting that night,
Polynesia addressed the Ministry:

"Look here, you fellows," said she: "we've simply got to get the Doctor
to take this holiday somehow--unless we're willing to stay in this
blessed island for the rest of our lives."

"But what difference," Bumpo asked, "is his taking a holiday going to
make?"

Impatiently Polynesia turned upon the Minister of the Interior.

"Don't you see? If he has a clear week to get thoroughly interested in
his natural history again--marine stuff, his dream of seeing the floor
of the ocean and all that--there may be some chance of his consenting
to leave this pesky place. But while he is here on duty as king he
never gets a moment to think of anything outside of the business of
government."

"Yes, that's true. He's far too consententious Bumpo agreed.

"And besides," Polynesia went on, "his only hope of ever getting away
from here would be to escape secretly. He's got to leave while he is
holiday-making, incognito--when no one knows where he is or what he's
doing, but us. If he built a ship big enough to cross the