entlemen were even more conspicuous. Those shakos! The
enemy would have run at the sight of them.

The orchestra began to play. It was that song about the brave Dunois,
of course.

"Arise!" someone called; and all scrambled to their feet again in
honor of the brave hero.

The curtain went up.

"Yes, Minos, on the present that I gave to thee----
'Twas stolen from the church----"

"What church?" asked Walter.

"Sh!" from William. "Poetic license. You will see how it is."

"----hangs Nisus' crown and life."

"Qu'est-ze qu'elle changte?" cried the countess-palatine. Then she
let herself out on costumes, speaking in a noisy voice.

Walter listened like a finch. Not that he understood very well;
but everything strange interested him intensely.

Not a soul was touched by the tragic bravery of King Minos; no one was
listening. Poor Rotgans! Afterwards it was said that Napoleon had been
especially pleased with "our Snoel" and with "our Watlier." Goodness,
Napoleon! When he was to be crowned he had Talma the mimic to drill
him for the ceremony--instead of saying to Talma: "Look, this is the
way an emperor appears when he's crowned!"

Walter listened attentively; even though he sometimes felt that he
could make such verses himself.

During the performance another commotion arose. One of their majesties
had asked for a glass of orange lemonade; and this was something the
buffetier did not have. A runner was dispatched to the drug-store
post haste. He returned with a bottle of lemon-syrup. The situation
became threatening. The news spread like fire that they were making a
"Majesty" wait for such a trifle. King Minos declared:

"Feelings of pleasure thrill my inner man--"

"De l'eau de fleur d'orange! que diantre!" cried a chamberlain. And
Minos noticed that nobody was interested in what was going on in
his interior.

A confectioner up on "Olympus" allowed his light to flash out and
gave some valuable information; but the police had him by the collar
in a jiffy. He was to be dragged away and put in confinement for
the present. The technical charge was, "Making a demonstration for
the House of Orange." At that time the House of Orange was in exile,
and Napoleon's brother was king of Holland.

"Feelings of pleasure thrill my inner man--"

repeated Minos with gusto. The conductor of the orchestra seized his
baton and was going to play, "Hail to the Emperor." Many stood up in
rea