cud give ye betther intertainmint in our
r'y'l palace av the Escurial, only thim thayves av rebels won't let
us. But we can maintain our state here in these sayquesthered
mountains, an', begorra, we have a throne in the hearts av a bowld
pisintry."

By this time Russell had risen to his feet, and stood there bowing
over and over again.

"His Majesty" rose.

"I'm not overfond," said he, "me lord, av state etiquette, though our
ancistors were divils av fellers at it. What I loike is a good
dinner, an' a glass av somethin' warrum, an' a pipe afther all. Ye've
heard the owld song:

"'Oh, a taste av salt an' a plante av praties,
An a dhrop av whiskey to wash thim down,
An' a tasty dhuidheen to help digistion--
That's the fashion in Limerick town.'"

It had already caused some surprise to Russell that a Spanish
chieftain should speak English with the Irish accent; but now to find
one who claimed to be the King of Spain lightly trolling an Irish
ditty to a rollicking tune was, to say the least, just a little
unusual. It occurred to him, however, that "His Majesty" must have
learned his English from an Irishman; and further thought showed him
that such a fact was perfectly natural, since, being a Catholic, he
had of course employed a Catholic tutor, who was almost certain to be
an Irishman. Which conclusion led to another, namely, that the
Catholic princes and nobles of Europe, including the Pope himself and
the College of Cardinals, if they speak English at all, speak it with
more or less of an Irish brogue.

"His Majesty" now led the way to the table, inviting Russell to
follow. There Russell beheld a tempting repast, whose savory steam
penetrated through his nostrils to that heart of hearts--that
_corcordium_ which lieth behind all sense, filling it with wild
longings. He saw roast capons, obtained from Heaven knows where; rich
odoriferous _olla podrida_, and various kinds of game. There was
aromatic coffee; there were steaming meat-pies, in which was
perceptible the scent of truffles; while modestly, yet
all-pervadingly, like the perfume of mignonette in a garden of a
thousand flowers, or like the influence of one good man in a
community of worldlings, or like the song of the poet in a hard,
prosaic age, there was wafted to his senses the steam of fat upland
mushrooms.

These two had that banquet all to themselves--namely, "His Majesty"
and "Lord" Russell.

"Me lord," said "His Majesty," "is a