iment that blew over Lipara was a southern merriment, free from
malice and vented in sheer jolly laughter and delight, because the
Liparians had never seen so droll a queen.

The great manoeuvres took place on the parade-ground. The king
accompanied the emperor and the princes on horseback, with a bevy of
European and oriental aides-de-camp. Their consorts with their suite
watched the march-past from landaus. Berengar marched bravely with his
company of grenadiers, in which he was a lieutenant, as well as he could
march with his short little legs, and stiffened his small features, so
as not to betray the difficulty it cost him to keep pace with his men's
long step. The hussars astonished the Syrian monarch by their unity with
their horses, when in wild career they threw themselves half off and in
still more rapid rushes picked up a flag from the ground, swung
themselves up again with a yell and waved the bunting. The Africans
executed their showy fantasias, brandished their spears, which flashed
like loosened sheaves of sunbeams, and came fluttering on in clouds of
white burnouses and dust, amid which their negro heads clustered darkly
in endless black patches and their eyes glistened.

In addition there was a military tournament, followed by garden-parties,
races, regattas, popular games and fireworks. Lipara was one city of
pleasure. Every day it was traversed by royal processions, the array of
uniforms glittered like live gold, the imperial landaus rattled in the
sun, with the spokes of their wheels flashing through the light dust
which flew up from the flagged pavements of the town. Most brilliant of
all, like drops of white flame, were the diamonds which the Syrian pair
wore even in the streets. At night, when the sun ceased shining, there
shone over the white town, vague with evening light, and over its violet
harbour, festoons of salamanders and gaudy bridges of fire, factitiously
bright beneath the silent silver glances of the stars; rockets fell
hissing into the water, on which the boats showed black, and left behind
them a faint, oppressive savour of gunpowder in the night.

In the great hall of pillars the ceremonial banquets followed one after
the other, with a display of gold plate of incredible value. The Queen
of Syria wore her curious, theatrical costumes, her broad bosom always
crossed by the blue ribbon of an order covered with badges; her hair was
dressed with tall plumes, hung with small diamonds. S