s clear and blue, very different from the air of
Claremont Square, Pentonville. The hills and woods round the town looked
soft and green, from the hill in the middle of the town where the
Parliament Houses stood. The town itself was small and very pretty, like
one of the towns in old illuminated books, and it had a great wall all
round it, and orange trees growing on the wall. Billy wondered whether
it was forbidden to pick the oranges.

When Parliament was opened by the footman whose business it was, Billy
said:

'Please, I've come about the place----'

'The King's or the cook's?' asked the footman.

Billy was rather angry.

'Now, do I look like a cook?' he said.

'The question is, do you look like a King?' said the footman.

'If I get the place you will be sorry for this,' said Billy.

'If you get the place you won't keep it long' said the footman. 'It's
not worth while being disagreeable; there's not time to do it properly
in. Come along in.'

Billy went along in, and the footman led him into the presence of the
Prime Minister, who was sitting with straws in his hair, wringing his
hands.

[Illustration: '"Come by post, your Lordship," said the footman.'--Page
255.]

'Come by post, your lordship,' the footman said--'from London.'

The Prime Minister left off wringing his hands, and held one of them out
to Billy. 'You will suit!' he said. 'I'll engage you in a minute. But
just pull the straws out of my hair first, will you? I only put them in
because we hadn't been able to find a suitable King, and I find straws
so useful in helping my brain to act in a crisis. Of course, once you're
engaged for the situation, no one will ask you to do anything useful.'

Billy pulled the straws out, and the Prime Minister said:

'Are they all out? Thanks. Well, now you're engaged--six months on
trial. You needn't do anything you don't want to. Now, your Majesty,
breakfast is served at nine. Let me conduct you to the Royal
apartments.'

In ten minutes Billy had come out of a silver bath filled with scented
water, and was putting on the grandest clothes he had ever seen in his
life. Everything was of thick, soft, pussy silk, and his boots had gold
heels with gold spurs on them.

For the first time in his life it was with personal pleasure, and not
from a sense of duty, that he brushed his hair and satisfied himself
that none of his nails were in mourning. Then he went to breakfast,
which was so fine that none but a F