e children, to whom he was ever affable, stopped their play to take
and return his smile. Some even grinned and saluted. They reserved
their awe for Scipio. Indeed, there is a legend that when Scipio
made his first appearance in Fore Street--he being so tall and the
roadway so narrow--he left in his wake two rows of supine children
who, parting before him, had gradually tilted back as their gaze
climbed up his magnificent and liveried person until the sight of his
ebon face toppled them over, flat.

Miss Jex, the postmistress, would hand him his letters or his copy of
the _Sherborne Mercury_ with a troubled blush. No exception surely
could be taken if she, a Government official, chose to hang a
coloured engraving of the Prince Regent on the wall behind her
counter. And yet--the resemblance! She had heard of irregular
alliances, Court scandals; she had even looked out "Morganatic" in
the dictionary, blushing for the deed while pretending to herself
(fie, Miss Jex!) that "Moravian" was the word she sought.

In Admirals' Row--its real name was Admiral's Row, and had been given
to it in 1758, after the capture of Louisbourg and in honour of
Admiral Boscawen; but we in Troy preferred to write the apostrophe
after the 's'--Miss Sally Tregentil would overpeer her blind and draw
back in a flutter lest the Major had observed her.

"Georgiana Pescod is positive that he was wild in his youth.
But how," Miss Sally asked herself, "can Georgiana possibly know?
And if he were--"

I leave you, my reader, as you know the female heart, to continue
Miss Sally's broken musings.

CHAPTER II.

OUR MAYOR.

_Cedant arma togae_. It is time we turned from the Major to the
Mayor, from the man of gallantry to the magistrate.

You know, I dare say, the story of the King of England and the King
of Portugal. The King of Portugal paid the King of England a visit.
"My brother," said the King of England, after some days, "I wish to
ask you a question." "Say on," said the King of Portugal. "I am
curious to know what in these realms of mine has most impressed you?"
The King of Portugal considered a while. "Your roast beef is
excellent," said he. "And after our roast beef, what next?"
The King of Portugal considered a while longer. "Your boiled beef
very nearly approaches it." So, if you had asked us on what first of
all we prided ourselves in Troy, we had pointed to our Major. If you
had asked "What next?" we had pointed to