cation and forgetfulness with a liberal hand.
Wieduwillst did not spare himself, but wine had little effect on his
strong brain; he would have defied Bacchus and Silenus together with
Charming. While the prince, by turn noisy and silent, plunged into the
extremes of joy and sadness, always restless and never happy,
Wieduwillst, calm and smiling, directed his thoughts, and through pure
goodness of soul took upon himself all the fatigue and care of the
government.

Three decrees had already placed in his hands the police, the courts,
and the finances. The doctor well understood all the advantages of
centralization. The way in which he administered the taxes relieved
him from all personal anxiety for the future. The courts punished
those who clamored too loudly; the police silenced those who whispered
too much. Nevertheless, in spite of the ability of these political
schemes, the people, always ungrateful, did not appreciate their
happiness. The inhabitants of Wild Oats delight in complaining; the
pleasure was spoiled for them.

King Bizarre's name was in all hearts and every one regretted the good
old times when they shouted over the roof-tops that they were gagged.

The doctor was ambitious; he was born for a prime minister. Every
morning some new ordinance made the people feel that the king was
nothing and the minister everything. Charming was the only one that
did not perceive his nothingness. Shut up in his palace, and dying of
ennui, his sole companion was a page placed near him by the prime
minister on Rachimburg's recommendation. Frolicsome, chattering, and
indiscreet, a good musician and capital card-player, Tonto, for that
was the page's name, amused the king by his pranks; he pleased the
prime minister no less, but by other virtues. Devoted to his
benefactor, the good-natured page innocently repeated to him the most
trifling words of the prince--an easy task, moreover, as the king was
constantly dreaming and never spoke.

It is a fine thing to have the advantages of power; but appetite comes
by eating even with ministers. The ambitious doctor began to desire
both the honors and luster of royalty. Charming's best friend did not
once think of dethroning him; nations sometimes have foolish
prejudices and cling to old habits, but nothing was easier than to
frighten a sick prince and send him afar off in search of a cure that
would be long coming, while in his absence the doctor would reign as
his proxy.

Char