reature
for many years; but our duty now is simple: to draw up as quickly as may
be an address of welcome to our eccentric visitor.'

An hour later, a procession of the men of eminence of the city, followed
by the inhabitants, marched along the streets to the northern gate. At
the Liglid's word of command, the barricades were removed and the gate
flung open.

Tilsa and Tobene at once ran to their grandfather and kissed him, while
Alison dropped a curtsey. The Flamp stood up and bowed as gracefully as
he could, and the Liglid returned the salute, not without some shaking
in the knees.

In faltering tones, which afterwards grew more steady, he begged of the
Flamp the 'honour of his attention for a few moments,' and forthwith
read the address of welcome. It was flowery and extravagant in style,
and contained not a few statements which sent a spasm across the Flamp's
wide expanse of face, such as might be caused by an attempt to suppress
laughter.

At the end, the Flamp bowed again and laid a massive paw upon his heart.
Then he replied. He began by thanking the Liglid for his kind welcome,
continued with the expression of his determination to do in the future
all that he could for the good of the city, and ended with a eulogy of
Tilsa and Tobene.

'They are, if I may use the word,' he said feelingly, 'kids which any
city should be proud of. And to be the grandfather of such bricks ought
to be as good as smush and a perpetual delight. And their nurse, ma'am
Alison here, is an old lady as is worthy of them.'

The crowd cheered these remarks again and again, and Tilsa and Tobene,
who were not accustomed to such publicity, hardly knew where to look. As
for old Alison, she curtseyed and went on with her knitting. 'Children,'
she said to herself, 'that travel in search of Flamps wear out their
stockings. Flattery or no flattery, new stockings must be made.'

Other speeches followed, for Ule was famous for its oratory, the best
being from a young statesman who made the admirable suggestion that in
commemoration of this auspicious day, a new order of merit should be
established, called the Order of the Friends of the Flamp, membership to
be conferred upon all persons conspicuous for spontaneous acts of
kindness. Further, he proposed that the first persons to add the letters
F.F., signifying Friend of the Flamp, to their names, should be Tilsa,
Tobene, and old Alison. The project was received with the wildest
enthusiasm, an