wild and passionate eyes of the presentment, which
seemed almost to roll in the masterly impression, and, mentally
recurring to the pitiless human butchery with which the prophet had
commenced the exercise of power, shudderingly cast the money upon the
table.

Eliza hastily took up the largest piece to gaze once more upon the
crowned figure. 'Yes,' she finally exclaimed, forgetting herself, 'that
is a king for the whole world or none.'

'What is the matter with you, Eliza?' asked Alf, with surprise. 'You
have never before spoken of the prophet with such partiality.'

'Crowns make beautiful!' whispered Tuiskoshirer, with a malicious
laugh, and at that instant lord steward Dilbek rushed into the room.

'To the windows, children, if you wish to see something very
particularly magnificent. The king is making his first tour through the
city on horseback, and will immediately pass this way.'

'The king?' asked Eliza with joyful surprise, a deeper and more
beautiful crimson suffusing her face as she hastened out of the room.

'What can all this mean?' sighed Alf, looking a moment after her, and
then stepping to the window.

Nearer and nearer sounded the cry, 'Hail king of Zion!' from the dense
multitude who preceded the royal procession through the streets.

'Now give attention,--here comes the procession,' cried Dilbek.
Already were heard the snorting and neighing of the first of the king's
horses. At the head of the procession came four pages, in costly
gold-embroidered velvet garments; a naked sword with a golden hilt,
Tuiskoshirer's crown upon an open bible, the golden globe (emblem of
imperial power), and two crossed swords, borne by lords and gentlemen,
followed.

'That beautiful, light-haired boy who bears the great sword, is the
bishop's own son,' whispered Dilbek to Alf, who recognized in the two
foremost pages the victims he had torn from the tiger claws of the
ferocious Matthias.

'Poor youths,' said he, 'hardly may I rejoice that I saved your
miserable lives, since this compulsory servile duty rendered to your
father's deadly enemy, must destroy the Spirit; which is a far greater
evil than the destruction of the body.'

Now came, snorting and prancing, the dapple-grey charger that bore the
king. The fair youth, who found himself quite at home in his high
station, presented in his princely attire a truly majestic appearance.
High white ostrich feathers waved over the jeweled ornaments of his
purple ca