t's true, annyhow!" from Teddy).

"Now, what we've got to say," continued Joe, clearing his throat again,
and taking a long breath, "is this--the land we're agoin' to ain't
thickly popilated, as we knows on, an' we would take it kindly if you'd
consent to stop there with us, an' continue to be our queen, so as we
may all stick together an' be rightly ruled on the lines o' lovin'
kindness,"--("With a taste o' the broomstick now an' then," from Teddy).
"If your majesty agrees to this, we promise you loyal submission an'
sarvice. Moreover, we will be glad that your brother, Mister Dominick,
should be prime minister, an' Mister Otto his scritairy, or wotever else
you please. Also that Dr Marsh should be the chansler o' the checkers,
or anything else you like, as well as sawbones-in-gineral to the
community. An' this our petition," concluded Joe, humbly laying the
document at Pauline's feet, "has bin signed by every man in the ship--
except Teddy Malone--"

"That's a lie!" shouted the amazed Teddy.

"Who," continued Joe, regardless of the interruption, "not bein' able to
write, has put his cross to it."

"Hear, hear!" cried the relieved Irishman, while the rest laughed
loudly--but not long, for it was observed that Pauline had put her
handkerchief to her eyes.

What the ex-queen said in reply, we need not put down in detail. Of
course, she expressed her gratitude for kind expressions, and her
thankfulness for what had been said about her Sabbath-school work. She
also explained that her dear mother in England, as well as their old
father in Java, must be filled with deepest anxiety on account of
herself and her brothers by that time, and that, therefore, she was
obliged, most unwillingly, to decline the honour proposed to her.

"Och!" exclaimed the disappointed widow Lynch, "cudn't ye sind for yer
mother to come out to yez, an' the ould man in Javy too? They'd be
heartily welcome, an' sure we'd find 'em some sitivation under guvermint
to kape their pot bilin'."

But these strong inducements failed to change the ex-queen's mind.

Now, while this was going on in the cabin, a change was taking place in
the sky. The bad weather which Malines had predicted came down both
suddenly and severely, and did the ship so much damage as to render
refitting absolutely necessary. There was no regular port within
hundreds of miles of them, but Malines said he knew of one of the
eastern isles where there was a safe harbour, go