of youth, and told
them that here they had got some one capable of being worried into
surrender. Still clamoring and thrusting up hands for backsheesh they
kept pace with him. A few of them started singing again, and the rest
joined in: perhaps singing was what the gentleman liked best--and so a
better way for gaining their end. The shrill voices fell into chorus;
and to a queer lilting tune the words rang clear.

"Come to me
Quietlee,
Do not do me an injuree!
Gently, Johnnie of Jingalo."

"What's that?" cried the King, stopping short in his amazement; "what's
that you say?" A new bewilderment seized on him. It was
impossible--quite impossible that the children should know who he really
was, yet there were the words with their implied accusation, as though
personally directed at him, and at him alone.

The small street singers, taking the inquiry for an encore, sang it
again; and this time the words had a curious flirtatious meaning which
made them even worse. What was he being charged with?

"Where did you get that from?" he inquired, hot of face.

"One of the Chartises taught it us," said a child more ready of speech
than the rest. "They all sings it now. It's one of their songs, that
is!" So with reduplicating speech she conveyed intelligence to his mind.

Never before had any word of poetry struck him a blow like this. He had
said that he did not understand poetry, but here was meaning only too
clear; in this song--so gentle, pleading, and pathetic in character, he,
John of Jingalo, stood publicly accused of all the injuries that were
being done to women in that necessary defense of law and order against
which, petition in hand, they were so obstinately setting themselves.
What was all his popularity worth, if by the mouths of little children
his name was to be thus cried in the streets? It was scandalous,
indecent; and yet--was it altogether without justification?

To be rid of his small tormentors and free for his own meditations, he
took the most practical means that suggested itself.

"There, there!" he cried. "Run away, run away, all of you!" and throwing
a random coin into their midst moved hastily away. Behind him as he went
he heard battle royal being waged; liberal though the donation, and
sufficient to distribute sustenance to all, each was now claiming it as
her own perquisite.

And so at his back the shrill sounds of wrath and contention went on
till they became merged in a