place to see everything there is to be seen," suggested
Louis, as he looked about him. "The king is taking us to his palace in high
style. If he meant to astonish us, he has hit the nail on the head."

"But where are Lord Tremlyn and Sir Modava?" asked Miss Blanche.

"They are mounted on a couple of as handsome horses as I ever saw in my
life," replied the commander. "One of them is on each side of the Guicowar,
at the head of the cavalry troop. In England and America the escort goes
ahead of the persons thus honored; but here, as a rule, the king cannot
ride behind anybody. You remember that when we saw the Sultan going to the
mosque in Constantinople he rode at the head of the procession, and all the
great officers of state went behind him; and that seems to be the fashion
here."

"But is he much of a king?" Mrs. Belgrave inquired.

"They all call him a king, and I suppose he is one. He is a Maharajah, a
word written with a capital, and composed of two words, _maha_, which
means great, and _rajah_, a king. The definition is 'a Hindu sovereign
prince,' and that makes a king of him. He rules over a large territory, and
Lord Tremlyn says he is the most powerful of all the native princes. He is
certainly treating us very handsomely."

"I think I could get along without quite so much style," said Mrs.
Belgrave, laughing; and she seemed to feel as though she was taking a part
in a farce.

"All the style is in honor of the distinguished gentlemen we picked up in
the Arabian Sea. But excuse me, Mrs. Belgrave, if I suggest that it is not
wise and prudent to laugh in the midst of such a spectacle as this. The
Hindus are very exclusive until you get acquainted with them, and have a
great many prejudices which we cannot comprehend. They are very sensitive,
and are very likely to misinterpret the expression and the actions of a
stranger; your laugh might be offensive, leading them to believe you were
sneering, or making fun of them, as we should call it."

"Then I will be very circumspect," replied the lady. "But is the Guicowar
really a king, when all this country belongs to the English? Victoria is
the Empress of India."

"He rules over a protected state; but his powers seem to be almost
unlimited. A British officer is always at his court, and is called a
'resident,' who is the representative of the government. But he does not
meddle with the affairs of the state unless occasion requires."

The houses the tourists pass