delightful! He
made sure that no one could see, and then began to make bows to himself
in the mirror; he walked up and down the room, observing the stateliness
of his gesture; he waved his hands in a lordly and patronising fashion;
he turned himself round to look at his back; he was very annoyed that
he could not see his profile. He came to the conclusion that he looked
every inch a king's son, and his inner consciousness told him that
consequently the king's daughter could not be far off.

But he would explore his palace! He girded his sword about him; it was a
scimitar of beautiful workmanship, and the scabbard was incrusted with
precious stones.... From the court he passed into many wonderful rooms,
one leading out of the other; there were rich carpets on the marble
floors, and fountains played softly in the centre, the walls were inlaid
with rare marbles; but he never saw a living soul.

In the last hour Amyntas had become fully alive to his great importance,
and carried himself accordingly. He took long, dignified steps, and held
one hand on the jewelled hilt of his sword, with his elbows stuck out at
right angles to his body; his head was thrown back proudly and his
nostrils dilated with appropriate scorn. At last he came to a door
closed by a curtain; he raised it. But he started back and was so
surprised that he found no words to express his emotions. Four maidens
were sitting in the room, more beautiful than he had thought possible
in his most extravagant dreams. The gods had evidently not intended
Amyntas for single blessedness.... The young persons appeared not to
have noticed him. Two of them were seated on rugs playing a languid game
of chess, the others were lazily smoking cigarettes.

'Mate!' murmured one of the players.

'Oh!' sighed the other, yawning, 'another game finished! That makes five
million and twenty-three games against your five million and
seventy-nine.'

They all yawned.

But Amyntas felt he must give notice of his presence, and suddenly
remembering an expression he had learnt on board ship, he put on a most
ferocious look and cried out,--

'Shiver my timbers!'

The maidens turned towards him with a little cry, but they quickly
recovered themselves and one of them came towards him.

'You speak like a king's son, oh youth!' she said.

There was a moment's hesitation, and the lady, with a smile, added, 'Oh,
ardently expected one, you are a compendium of the seven excellences!'