good digestion produces, and ready to be
friends with all the world.

"It is absurd," he said, "to let a scrap of paper which may mean
nothing, and the curiosity of some country idiot who wanted to get a
peep at me, interfere with our enjoying a comfortable rest in this
excellent inn, and then going on fresh and well in the morning."

"Then you mean to stay here to-night, sir?" said Denis anxiously.

"Of course, boy."

Saint Simon shook his head as if in dissent, and the King glared at him.

"Did you hear me, sir?" he cried. "I said I mean to stay here
to-night."

Saint Simon drew back respectfully, and the King, apparently mollified,
continued:

"An excellent dinner. I suppose it was having such a bad night, and
tossing about. It has made me feel quite drowsy." And as he spoke he
settled himself down in a big chair and closed his eyes, while those of
the two young men met in a wondering glance, and had they dared, as they
thought of the night they too had spent, they would have burst into a
roar of laughter.

But they contented themselves with just raising their brows, and then
sat there for a time silent and thoughtful. They could not converse for
fear of disturbing their lord and master, who now began to breathe
rather heavily. And then a curious thing happened to each: Saint Simon
began to think of the frightfully wearying night he had passed, and in
an instant the wind was whistling and shrieking through the rigging, the
sea rising with a heavy splash against the vessel's bows, to now and
then deluge the deck, and the shivering horses in turn were straining
their muzzles towards him in the darkness as if appealing to be relieved
from their miserable state.

With Denis it was on this wise. He sat back in his chair watching the
King for a few minutes, before fixing his eyes upon the wall just to his
left. Then he too as if in a moment was down in the dark cabin with the
dim lamp swinging to and fro, and the King sleeping heavily and giving
forth that deep breathing sound, while a panel seemed to have formed
itself in the bulkhead of the ship, where it began gliding sideways till
there was room for a hand to appear, holding a tiny scrap of paper.
This was passed through very slowly, to be followed by wrist, elbow, and
then the whole of an arm so long that it stretched out like a
spear-shaft, and the fingers reached the King's plate and thrust the
paper underneath.

Then it gradually shrank back a