eel more at home, although still subdued by the accumulation of
practical beatitudes.

"Tell me," he said, when each was agreeably established, Dennis upon a
comfortable divan and his listener in a chair which supplied its
fascinating occupant with a sort of solicitous support, which Dennis
assured himself would be poetry realized if he could be permitted to
share, "tell me, shall I recite my abilities first or read the story?"

"Suppose," suggested his hearer, "we hear the story first and reserve
your catalogue as a climax, like the dessert after the banquet."

"All right!" assented Dennis, as he produced a circular bundle, from
which he extracted his absurd medium.

"One moment," suggested his hearer, as she arranged an electric cluster
in a manner that enabled her to witness every alternation of expression
in that mobile countenance--"now."

Withdrawing his gaze from the sweet face of his auditor with a
reluctance sufficiently marked to advance him several leagues further in
her good graces, Dennis, directing his attention to the closely-printed
dickey, began, with racy Irish emphasis, as follows:

* * * * *

"With a bound the prince swept aside the curtains and reached his room.

"Advancing to the gong, which was suspended by silken cords near the
divan, he struck it sharply several times.

"There was no response.

"He repeated his summons with the added vigor of his irritation at the
delay.

"Only the sullen echo answered.

"With impatient incredulity the prince was about to hasten to the
ante-room in which his faithful Sepoy had always been found, when a
strange trembling seized his limbs.

"A confusion obscured his mind; his sight grew dim.

"Alarmed at this unusual sensation, the prince asserted himself against
its depressing influence with all his customary resolution, and was
finally able to reach the ante-room.

"It was deserted!

"He hastened to the passageway outside.

"Not a soul was visible; an unearthly stillness prevailed.

"'Ah!' he cried with sudden realization, 'my messenger has been too
liberal with his news; they have heard of the British advance.'

"Thirty vital minutes had passed, and away in the dim distance an
animated spot of red and gleam began to emerge.

"Again that inexplicable numbness and alarming physical weakness.

"With trembling hands he supported himself along the walls and finally
reached the apartment in which he h