she felt happier than ever in
her life before, and her only trouble was that she had no one to whom
she might tell this. However, she did the best she could, and set
herself to the task of confirming Mrs. Russell in her views and
intentions; in which she was so successful that the latter began to
imagine herself as almost already on the throne; and when Katie once
or twice accidentally addressed her as "Your Majesty," the good lady
did not check her.

Another visit from "His Majesty" found Mrs. Russell like ripe fruit
ready to be gathered. On this occasion, as before, the august monarch
came alone. He was in high good-humor, and smelt strongly of whiskey.
He began, in a strain of gallantry, complimenting the ladies in
general on their numerous charms.

"Yez oughtn't to be kept here undher lock an' kay," said "His
Majesty," "an' mesilf 'ud be the proud man to let yez out, ivery one
av yez, but thin how do I know that I'd iver see yez agin? I must
kape yez till me fate's decoided. I don't know yet that ye'd be
willin' to come to terruuis; an' so ye're loike O'Rafferty in the
song:

"'Oh, a fine pair av handcuffs he wore,
That the sheriff hiul nately adjusted,
Because that official persayved
That O'Rafferty couldn't be trusted.'"

"Ah, sire," said Mrs. Russell, with a sigh, "Your Royal Majesty holds
us by stronger bonds than bolts and bars."

"Be jabers!" exclaimed "His Majesty," "that's good! that's nate!
that's illigant! I couldn't bate that mesilf, an' I hope that all the
ladies prisent will join in that sintimint."

As he spoke, "His Majesty" looked hard at Katie, but that young lady
did not catch the royal eye.

"The throne av Spain," continued "His Majesty," "an' the crown an'
sceptre av Spain, an' all the r'y'l regalia, an' all the moight an'
majesty an' magnificence av its pomp an' power--be jabers! they're
all goin' a beggin' in this room; an' there's one here that's only
got to wink, an' it's hers, every bit av it."

Mrs. Russell here made desperate efforts to catch the royal eye, but
to no purpose, for that eye was fixed on Katie.

"Yis," continued "His Majesty," "an' afore to-morrow noon it 'ud be
all hers, any time at all--crown an' sceptre an' all--an' the
marriage ceremony cud come off in the mornin', loike Tim:

"'Oh, married was Tim at the dawn av day;
His bride was a stout owld widdy;
She owned a horse, an' she owned a shay,
An' her maiden name was Biddy.'"

The