Fitz.: Until quit plain
Is their intent,
These sages twain
I represent.
Now please infer
That, nothing loth,
You're henceforth, as it were,
Engaged to marry both--
Then take it that I represent the two--
On that hypothesis, what would you do?

Zara. (aside): What would I do? what would I do?
(To Fitz.) In such a case,
Upon your breast,
My blushing face
I think I'd rest--(doing so)
Then perhaps I might
Demurely say--
"I find this breastplate bright
Is sorely in the way!"

Fitz.: Our mortal race
Is never blest--
There's no such case
As perfect rest;
Some petty blight
Asserts its sway--
Some crumbled roseleaf light
Is always in the way!

(Exit Fitzbattleaxe. Manet
Zara.)

(Enter King.)

King: My daughter! At last we are alone together.

Zara: Yes, and I'm glad we are, for I want to speak to you very
seriously. Do you know this paper?

King: (aside) Da--! (Aloud) Oh yes--I've--I've seen it.
Where
in the world did you get this from?

Zara: It was given to me by Lady Sophy--my sisters' governess.

King: (aside) Lady Sophy's an angel, but I do sometimes wish
she'd mind her own business! (Aloud) It's--ha!
ha!--it's
rather humorous.

Zara: I see nothing humorous in it. I only see that you, the
des-
potic King of this country, are made the subject of the
most
scandalous insinuations. Why do you permit these things?

King: Well, they appeal to my sense of humor. It's the only
really comic paper in Utopia, and I wouldn't be without
it
for the world.

Zara: If it had any literary merit I could understand it.

King: Oh, it has literary merit. Oh, distinctly, it has
literary
merit.

Zara: My dear father, it's mere ungrammatical twaddle.

King: Oh, it's not ungrammatical. I can't allow that.
Unpleas-