The tarts?

[Illustration: "THE IDENTICAL TARTS!"]

KNAVE OF HEARTS. Ay, my Queen, the identical tarts.

QUEEN OF CLUBS. But they must be stale of the last summer?

JOKER. Nay, fair lady. These be royal tarts, and not of the general. Age
cannot stale them, nor can human possibility limit their infinite
variety.

QUEEN OF HEARTS. Taste them, fair cousins, taste them.

[_The JOKER passes around the tarts; each player takes one._]

KING OF SPADES. And do I not taste? Do I have no tart?

QUEEN OF HEARTS. Ay, Sir King, there shall none go hungry here.

KING OF SPADES (_having taken a tart with each hand, bites out of each
in turn as he speaks_). Ah, a strawberry tart and a gooseberry tart. But
they be both most toothsome. Most excellent, most excellent, my lady of
Hearts.

QUEEN OF DIAMONDS. Verily they are as if they had but just come from the
oven!

QUEEN OF CLUBS. Most deliciously sweet.

QUEEN OF SPADES. So good I never tasted before.

KING OF HEARTS (_to KNAVE OF HEARTS_). It is well for thee, Knave, that
thou hast so wisely demeaned thyself. The return of the tarts cleanses
thee of all past evil-doing. Henceforth I hope thou wilt be, as before,
a good Knave, a strong Knave, and a loyal Knave. Good friends, let us
now to the banquet.

KING OF SPADES. A most laudable purpose!

[The KING OF HEARTS offers his hand to the QUEEN OF HEARTS, and
conducts her from the throne to the front of the stage. The three
other QUEENS rise and group themselves in a semicircle behind the
KING and QUEEN OF HEARTS. Thus, beginning from the right side of
the stage, the characters stand in this order in the semicircle:
KING OF SPADES, QUEEN OF SPADES, KING OF CLUBS, QUEEN OF CLUBS,
KING OF DIAMONDS, QUEEN OF DIAMONDS, JOKER, KNAVE OF HEARTS, KNAVE
OF SPADES, KNAVE OF DIAMONDS, and KNAVE OF CLUBS.]

QUEEN OF HEARTS (addressing the audience).

Kind friends, our play is done.
The crackers are returned;
Our end is won,
The lesson's learned;
And all that's left to do
Upon this festive eve
Is that we give to you
Our thanks before you leave.
But as you go, take this;
It is not quite a moral--
Yet the point you cannot miss,
And so we shall not quarrel:

'Tis well the Knave did not retain
These things, but brought them back.
'Tis good we made the King refrain
From executing Jack,
Else none could play at cards again
Short o