antly fed on the best bread
and water."

The old man groaned. "All is lost!" he wildly exclaimed. But Norman
heeded him not: he had taken out his note-book, and was calmly jotting
down the particulars.

"Three they be," the Governor proceeded, "Lolo, Mimi, and Zuzu. Lolo
makes 5 scarves while Mimi makes 2; but Zuzu makes 4 while Lolo makes 3!
Again, so fairylike is Zuzu's handiwork, 5 of her scarves weigh no more
than one of Lolo's; yet Mimi's is lighter still--5 of hers will but
balance 3 of Zuzu's! And for warmth one of Mimi's is equal to 4 of
Zuzu's; yet one of Lolo's is as warm as 3 of Mimi's!"

Here the little lady once more clapped her hands.

"It is our signal of dismissal!" the Governor hastily said. "Pay Her
Radiancy your farewell compliments--and walk out backwards."

The walking part was all the elder tourist could manage. Norman simply
said "Tell Her Radiancy we are transfixed by the spectacle of Her Serene
Brilliance, and bid an agonized farewell to her Condensed Milkiness!"

"Her Radiancy is pleased," the Governor reported, after duly translating
this. "She casts on you a glance from Her Imperial Eyes, and is
confident that you will catch it!"

"That I warrant we shall!" the elder traveller moaned to himself
distractedly.

Once more they bowed low, and then followed the Governor down a winding
staircase to the Imperial Dungeon, which they found to be lined with
coloured marble, lighted from the roof, and splendidly though not
luxuriously furnished with a bench of polished malachite. "I trust you
will not delay the calculation," the Governor said, ushering them in
with much ceremony. "I have known great inconvenience--great and serious
inconvenience--result to those unhappy ones who have delayed to execute
the commands of Her Radiancy! And on this occasion she is resolute: she
says the thing must and shall be done: and she has ordered up ten
thousand additional bamboos!" With these words he left them, and they
heard him lock and bar the door on the outside.

"I told you how it would end!" moaned the elder traveller, wringing his
hands, and quite forgetting in his anguish that he had himself proposed
the expedition, and had never predicted anything of the sort. "Oh that
we were well out of this miserable business!"

"Courage!" cried the younger cheerily. "_Haec olim meminisse juvabit!_
The end of all this will be glory!"

"Glory without the L!" was all the poor old man could say, as he rocked
h