to
catch me, however, I--er--got interested in the evening paper, and that
delayed me."

"Very glad, dear chap; very glad, indeed," began Narkom. Then, as his
eye fell upon the particular evening paper in question lying on the
writing-table, a little crumpled from use, but with a certain
"displayed-headed" article of three columns length in full view, he
turned round and stared at Cleek with an air of awe and mystification.
"My dear fellow, you must be under the guardianship of some uncanny
familiar. You surely must, Cleek!" he went on. "Do you mean to tell me
that is what kept you at home? That you have been reading about the
preparations for the forthcoming coronation of King Ulric of
Mauravania?"

"Yes; why not? I am sure it makes interesting reading, Mr. Narkom. The
kingdom of Mauravania has had sufficient ups and downs to inspire a
novelist, so its records should certainly interest a mere reader. To be
frank, I found the account of the amazing preparations for the
coronation of his new Majesty distinctly entertaining. They are an
excitable and spectacular people, those Mauravanians, and this time they
seem bent upon outdoing themselves."

"But, my dear Cleek, that you should have chosen to stop at home and
read about that particular affair! Bless my soul man, it's--it's
amazing, abnormal, uncanny! Positively uncanny, Cleek!"

"My dear Narkom, I don't see where the uncanny element comes in, I must
confess," replied Cleek with an indulgent smile. "Surely an Englishman
must always feel a certain amount of interest in Mauravian affairs. Have
the goodness to remember that there should be an Englishman upon that
particular throne. Aye, and there would be, too, but for one of those
moments of weak-backed policy, of a desire upon the part of the
'old-woman' element which sometimes prevails in English politics to keep
friendly relations with other powers at any cost. Brush up your history,
Mr. Narkom, and give your memory a fillip. Eight-and-thirty years ago
Queen Karma of Mauravania had an English consort and bore him two
daughters, and one son. You will perhaps recall the mad rebellion, the
idiotic rising which disgraced that reign. That was the time for England
to have spoken. But the peace party had it by the throat; they, with
their mawkish cry for peace--peace at any price!--drowned the voices of
men and heroes, and the end was what it was! Queen Karma was
deposed--she and her children fled, God knows how, God kn