r--Venice" (neither of which
cities, as a matter of fact, did Eswareinmal resemble in the least).
"Hullo! what are we stopping for _now_, eh?"

It seemed they had arrived at the principal gates of the Capital, where
the Burgomaster and other civic dignitaries were assembled to welcome
and to do them homage, which they did with every sign of respect and
loyalty. As Mrs. Wibberley-Stimpson felt unequal to the efforts of
responding, that duty devolved on her husband, who presented himself at
the window of the coach, and made what the reporters, had any been
present, would no doubt have described as "a few gracious and
appropriate remarks."

"You needn't have said that about 'doing our best to give satisfaction,'
Sidney!" complained his wife after the coach had thundered over the
drawbridge, and was lumbering under the massive archway into a narrow
and crowded street, "for all the world as if we had been a butler and
housekeeper applying for a situation!"

"It _was_ a little unfortunate, perhaps, my dear," he admitted; "but it
is so difficult to know what to say when one has to speak impromptu."

"It ought to be easy enough to know what _not_ to say," she retorted.
"Dear me, what hosts of people!" she went on, as her irritation merged
into complacency. "And _how_ pleased they all seem to see us! But no
doubt, after a bachelor Regent, a whole Royal family--I love to see
their happy smiling faces!"

"Grinning mugs would be nearer the mark, Mater," said Clarence; "never
saw such a chuckle-headed lot of bumpkins in my life!"

"I will thank you to remember, Clarence," she replied, "that they are my
loyal subjects, and will be _yours_ at some time to come."

"I can _wait_ for 'em," he said; "and if they're so jolly loyal, why
ain't they cheering more?"

Slowly the golden coach progressed through winding streets of gabled or
step-roofed houses with toppling overhanging stories, then along one
side of a great square, packed with people in costume, the women
recalling to Mrs. Stimpson's mind, quite inappropriately, the waitresses
at the Rigi Kulm hotel on a Sunday. Then, through more narrow streets,
to a smaller square, where it stopped at some steps leading to the huge
West portal of a magnificent buttressed Church.

"All change here--for the Coronation!" said Clarence. "I'd better nip
out first, eh, Mater?"

"Your father and I get out first, naturally, Clarence," said Mrs.
Wibberley-Stimpson, and descended majestically