t arms.)

King: Zara! my beloved daughter! Why, how well you look and
how
lovely you have grown! (embraces her.)

Zara: My dear father! (embracing him) And my two beautiful
little sisters! (embracing them)

Nekaya: Not beautiful.

Kalyba: Nice-looking.

Zara: But first let me present to you the English warrior who
commands my escort, and who has taken, O! such care of me
during my voyage--Captain Fitzbattleaxe!

Troopers: The First Life Guards.
When the tempest rose,
And the ship went so--

(Captain Fitzbattleaxe motions them to be silent. The Troopers
place
themselves in the four corners of the stage, standing at ease,
immovably, as if on sentry. Each is surrounded by an admiring
group of young ladies, of whom they take no notice.)

King: (to Capt. Fitz.) Sir, you come from a country where
every
virtue flourishes. We trust that you will not criticize
too
severely such shortcomings as you may detect in our
semi-barbarous society.

Fitz.: (looking at Zara) Sir, I have eyes for nothing but the
blameless and the beautiful.

King: We thank you--he is really very polite! (Lady Sophy, who
has
been greatly scandalized by the attentions paid to the
Lifeguardsmen by the young ladies, marches the Princesses
Nekaya and Kalyba towards an exit.) Lady Sophy, do not
leave
us.

Lady S.: Sir, your children are young, and, so far, innocent. If
they are to remain so, it is necessary that they be at
once
removed from the contamination of their present
disgraceful
surroundings. (She marches them off.)

King: (whose attention has thus been called to the proceedings
of
the young ladies--aside) Dear, dear! They really
should-
n't. (Aloud) Captain Fitzbattleaxe--

Fitz.: Sir.

King: Your Troopers appear to be receiving a troublesome amount
of
attention from those young ladies. I know how strict you
English soldiers are, and I should be extremely
distressed
if anything occurred to shock their puritanical British
sensitiveness.

Fitz.: Oh, I don't think there's any chance of that.

King: