is
Majesty" himself, and he too burst forth into peals of laughter.
After this even Mrs. Russell joined in, and so it happened that the
King and the three ladies enjoyed quite a pleasant season.

The King at length recovered from his laughing fit, and drew himself
up as though preparing for business.

"Ye see," said he, "Misther Russell has committed an offince against
our r'y'l prayrogatives, an' ayven his being our cousin doesn't help
him, so it doesn't, for ye see it's a toime av danger--the habeas
corpus is suspindid, thrial by jury's done up; there's only martial
law, an', be jabers, there's a coort-martial in session at this
blessed momint in the room overhead."

"Oh, sire," exclaimed Mrs. Russell, clasping her hands, "they're not
sitting on my poor John!"

"Sure an' it's just him, an' divil a one else, so it is; an' it 'ud
be mesilf that 'ud be proud to git him off if I cud, but I can't, for
law is law, and there ye have it; and though we are King, yet even we
haven't any power over the law. _Fiat justitia, ruat coelum_. I've
got no more conthrol over the law than over the weather. But we've
got somethin', an' that is a heart that milts at the soight av beauty
in disthress."

"Oh, sire," said Mrs. Russell, "spare him!"

"His Majesty" took her hand, pressed it, and held it in his.

"Dearest cousin," said he, "ye ax impossibilities. Law is an' must be
shuprame. Even now the coort is deciding. But in any evint, even the
worst, ye have a frind in us--constant, tinder, an' thrue; in any
evint, no matther what, moind ye, I won't forgit. Niver, niver! I'll
be thrue to me word. Permit us to laymint that we had not met ye
befoor the late--that is, befoor John Russell obtained this hand.
Nay, dhrop not that beaucheous head, fair one. Let the r'y'l eye gaze
on those charrums. Our r'y'l joy is to bask an' sun ourselves in the
light av loveliness an' beauty."

The strain in which "His Majesty" spoke was certainly high-flown and
perhaps extravagant, yet his intention was to express tenderness and
sympathy, and to Mrs. Russell it seemed like a declaration made to
her, and expressive of much more. She felt shocked, it is true, at
the word "late" applied to her unfortunate husband by "His Majesty,"
yet the words which followed were not without a certain consolation.

"Oh, that it were possible," continued "His Majesty," "for some of us
in this room to be more to one another! Oh, that some one here would
allow us to ho