or sailors, or anybody, to get after us."

"There is no rule here against giving a queen her rights," said the
governor, who seemed to be in a good humor as long as he talked to
Corny, "and no one shall interfere with you, provided you do not commit
any disorder, and I'm sure you will not do that."

"Oh, no!" said Corny; "we just intend to have a little coronation, and
to ask the people to remember that she's a queen and not a pepper-pod
woman; and if you could just give us a paper commission, and sign it, we
should--at least I should--feel a good deal easier."

"You shall have it," said the governor, and he took some paper and a
pen.

"It seems a little curious," said he to Corny, as he dipped his pen in
the ink, "that I should serve a queen, and have a queen under me at the
same time, doesn't it?"

"Kind o' sandwiched," remarked Rectus, who had a face like frozen brass.

The governor went on writing, and Corny and I looked at Rectus as if we
would singe his hair.

"You are all from the States, I suppose," said the governor.

I said we were.

"What are your names?" he asked, looking at Corny first.

"Cornelia V. Chipperton," said Corny, and he wrote that down. Then he
looked at me.

"William Taylor Gordon," said I. When the governor had put that on his
paper, he just gave his head a little wag toward Rectus. He didn't look
at him.

"My name is Samuel Colbert," said Rectus.

Corny turned short on him, with eyes wide open.

"Samuel!" she said, in a sort of theatre-whisper.

"Now, then," said the governor, "this paper will show that you have full
permission to carry out your little plans, provided that you do nothing
that may create any disorder. If the woman--your queen, I mean--has been
in the habit of earning her own livelihood, don't make a pauper of her."
And he gave us a general look as if the time had come to say good-bye.
So we got up and thanked him, and he shook hands with us, Rectus and
all, and we came away.

We found Priscilla sitting cross-legged on the grass outside, pitching
pennies.

"That thar red-coat he want to sen' me off," said she, "but I tole him
my missy and bosses was inside, and I boun' to wait fur 'em, or git
turned off. So he le' me stay."

Corny, for a wonder, did not reprove Priscilla for giving the sentinel
the idea that her employers hired penny-pitchers to follow them around,
but she walked on in silence until we were out of the grounds. Then she
turned to Rectus a