or
these cannot have too much hair in England, at the back of their own
heads, and front of their admirers'.

Councillor Tuloo was gifted with a deep understanding of a thing which
looks shallow to a man who has never yet heard of false bottoms. He said
to King Golo: "I know what women are. As long as she never had thought
about men, you might crawl, and be only a hog to her. But her eyes have
been opened to this white man, and there is room for a black one to
go into them. And unless you are at hand, it will be done by some one
else."

In short, all was managed so beautifully that in six more moons the coy
Mabonga split the Durra straw with King Golo, amid vast rejoicings and
in din almost equal to that which a wedding in Wales arouses. But
from time to time it was considered needful to keep up her Majesty's
repulsion by serving Erle Twemlow with another dose of that which would
have created for the English fair capillary attraction. Thus he became
a great favourite with the King, who listened with deep interest to
his descriptions of the houseful of beads and buttons to be earned in
England by a little proper management of Tuloo's magic dust. Before
very long it was arranged that as soon as a good supply of Pong could be
collected, Twemlow should be sent back to the coast and placed under
the charge of Bandeliah, who was now a tributary of this great King. And
here he might have waited years and years--for the trading station was
abandoned now--but for the benevolence of Captain Southcombe, who, being
driven to the eastward of his course upon one of his returns from India,
stood in a little further to enquire about his friend, and with no small
pleasure conveyed him home.

CHAPTER LX

NO DANGER, GENTLEMEN

The little dinner at Springhaven Hall, appointed for that same Saturday,
had now grown into a large one. Carne had refused Dolly's offer to get
him an invitation, and for many reasons he was not invited. He ought
to have been glad of this, because he did not want to be there; but his
nature, like a saw's, was full of teeth, and however he was used, he
grated. But without any aid of his teeth, a good dinner, well planned
and well served, bade fair in due course to be well digested also by
forty at least of the forty-two people who sat down to consider it.
For as yet the use of tongue was understood, and it was not allowed to
obstruct by perpetual motion the duties of the palate. And now every
person in t