permit this, fearing thereby to lose the good graces
of the king. In the midst of these perplexities Moronvol's advertisement
appeared, and the prince was at once dispatched to 23 Avenue
Montaigne,--"the most beautiful situation in Paris,"--where he was
received, as you may well believe, with open arms. This heir of a
far-off kingdom was a godsend to the academy. He was constantly on
exhibition; M. Moronval showed him at theatres and concerts, and along
the boulevards, reminding one of those perambulating advertisements that
are to be seen in all large cities.

He appeared in society, such society at least as admitted M. Moronval,
who entered a room with all the gravity of Fenelon conducting the Duke
of Burgundy. The two were announced as "His Royal Highness the Prince of
Dahomey, and M. Moronval, his tutor."

For a month the newspapers were full of anecdotes of Madou; an attache
of a London paper was sent to interview him, and they had a long and
serious talk as to the course the young prince should pursue when called
to the throne of his ancestors. The English journal published an account
of the curious dialogue, and the vague replies certainly left much to be
desired.

At first all the expenses of the academy were discharged by this
solitary pupil, Monsieur Bonfils paying the bill that was presented
to him without a word of dispute. Madou's education, however, made
but little progress. He still continued among the A B C's, and Madame
Moronval's charming method made no impression upon him. His defective
pronunciation was still retained, and his half-childish way of speaking
was not changed. But he was gay and happy. All the other children were
compelled to yield to him a certain deference. At first this was a
difficult matter, as his intense blackness seemed to indicate to these
other children of the sun that he was a slave.

And how amiable the professors were to this bullet-headed boy, who, in
spite of his natural amiability, so sturdily refused to profit by their
instructions! Every one of the teachers had his own private idea of what
could be done in the future under the patronage of this embryo king.
It was the refrain of all their conversations. As soon as Madou was
crowned, they would all go to Dahomey. Labassandre intended to develop
the musical taste of Dahomey, and saw himself the director of a
conservatory, and at the head of the Royal Chapel.

Madame Moronval meant to apply her method to class upon c