d come. He with his adventurous theories, she with her patient
and unflinching practice, how gloriously together they could tumble old
monarchy to the dust and build it anew. For the first time in his life
he felt almost fiercely desirous to step into his father's shoes.
Strange that such sudden ambitions should be sprung on him by contact
with a heart which apparently held none.

All this while he was returning the bows of bishops and their wives.
They flowed by in solid file forty or fifty strong; for this was a
demonstration with political import behind it, this was going to be in
all the press to be understanded of the people; the Bishops about to
fight for their own order were passing before the steps of the throne to
indicate in dumb show that allegiance to Crown and Constitution which
animated their hearts.

And then, gorgeous in cloth of gold and high funnel-shaped hat,
introduced by the Minister of Public Worship but unaccompanied by his
two black wives, came the Archimandrite of Cappadocia--a counter
demonstration; and after him, forty Free Churches divines, all in black
gowns, silkened for the occasion, but unenlivened by the moral emblems
of their domesticity; a queer somber tail they seemed to that great
eastern bird of Paradise under whose wing they would presently acquire
the right to wear feathers as fine as his own.

Most of them had never been at Court before, and in consequence were not
so well drilled as the Bishops. Some of them bowed too often, and too
hurriedly, and before they need, beginning with the Lord Functionary
whom they mistook for royalty; and they walked out sideways instead of
backwards, reactionary methods of progress not being in their blood.
Still, taking them for all in all, they were a very learned-looking
body, and their presence in such uncongenial surroundings showed that
they meant business.

And deficiency in their demeanor was quite covered by the deportment of
the Archimandrite. In the new robe presented to him for the occasion by
the Prime Minister (for the moth had got into his own) he looked superb,
and behaved with a majesty beside which Jingalo's home-bred royalty sank
into insignificance. Max frankly recognized his superior, and bowed low.
"This is a descent of the spirit, Archimandrite," he said, as they
touched palms; and as he did so a queer breath of eastern spices blew
over him, for the man of God was chewing them.

And so, in this great overt act of respect