ordered every thing that was left of the jewels, pearls, and precious
stones which I had purchased with my perplexing piles of wealth, to be
placed in two covered dishes, and distributed in the name of the queen
among her playfellows and the ladies present; and I ordered gold to be
thrown over the border fence among the joyous crowds. On the following
morning, Bendel communicated to me, in confidence, that the suspicions he
had formed against Rascal's integrity were fully confirmed; he had
yesterday purloined several bags of gold. "Let us not envy," I replied,
"the poor devil this trifling booty; I scatter my money about profusely,
why not to him? Yesterday, he and everybody else served me nobly, and
arranged a delightful festivity." Nothing further was said about it;
Rascal continued to be my head-servant, and Bendel my friend and
confidant. He had imagined my wealth to be inexhaustible, and he cared
not to inquire into its source. Entering into my feelings, he assisted
me to find out constant occasions to display my wealth, and to spend it.
Of the unknown, pale, sneaking fellow, he only knew that without him I
could not get released from the curse which bound me, and that I dreaded
the man on whom my only hope reposed. Besides, I was now convinced he
could discover me anywhere, while I could find him nowhere; so that I
determined to abandon a fruitless inquiry, and to await the promised day.

The magnificence of the festival, and my condescension there, confirmed
the obstinately-credulous inhabitants in their first opinion of my
dignity. It appeared very soon, notwithstanding, in the newspapers, that
the reported journey of the king was wholly without foundation. But I
had been a king, and a king I was unfortunately compelled to remain; and
certainly I was one of the richest and kingliest who had ever appeared.
But what king could I be? The world has never had cause to complain of
any scarcity of monarchs, at least in our days; and the good people, who
had never seen one with their own eyes, first fixed on one, and then,
equally happily, on another; but Count Peter continued to be my name.

There once appeared among the visitors to the baths, a merchant who had
made himself a bankrupt in order to get rich, and he enjoyed the general
esteem; he was accompanied by a broad, palish shadow. He wished
ostentatiously to display the wealth he had acquired, and he determined
to be my rival. I applied to my bag. I