now sitting patiently beside the Baron de
Becasse.

"I feel in my bones," he murmured, "that I'm about to hatch something.
Can't you hear a tapping on the shell of your egg, Baron?"

"Parbleu!" replied the Baron. "The shell is moving under me."

It certainly was; for, the next moment, the Baron fell into his egg
with a crash and a muffled shriek, and floundered out, dripping,
yellow as a canary.

"N'importe!" he cried, excitedly. "Allons! Save the eggs! Hurrah! Vive
la science!" And he scrambled up on the fourth egg and sat there, arms
folded, sublime courage transfiguring him from head to foot.

We all gave him a cheer, which was hushed as the stage-manager ran in,
warning us that the audience was already assembled and in place.

"You're not going to raise the curtain while we're sitting, are you?"
demanded the King of Finland, anxiously.

"No, no," I said; "sit tight, your Majesty. Courage, gentlemen! Our
vindication is at hand!"

The Countess glanced at me with startled eyes; I took her hand,
saluted it respectfully, and then quietly led her before the curtain,
facing an ocean of upturned faces across the flaring footlights.

She stood a moment to acknowledge the somewhat ragged applause, a calm
smile on her lips. All her courage had returned; I saw that at once.

Very quietly she touched her lips to the _eau-sucree_, laid her
manuscript on the table, raised her beautiful head, and began:

"That the ux is a living bird I am here before you to prove--"

A sharp report behind the curtain drowned her voice. She paled; the
audience rose amid cries of excitement.

"What was it?" she asked, faintly.

"Sir Peter has hatched out his egg," I whispered. "Hark! There goes
another egg!" And I ran behind the curtain.

Such a scene as I beheld was never dreamed of on land or sea. Two
enormous young uxen, all over gigantic pin-feathers, were wandering
stupidly about. Mounted on one was Sir Peter Grebe, eyes starting from
his apoplectic visage; on the other, clinging to the bird's neck, hung
the Baron de Becasse.

Before I could move, the two remaining eggs burst, and a pair of huge,
scrawny fledglings rose among the debris, bearing off on their backs
the King and Crown-Prince.

"Help!" said the King of Finland, faintly. "I'm falling off!"

I sprang to his aid, but tripped on the curtain-spring. The next
instant the green curtain shot up, and there, revealed to that vast
and distinguished audience, roamed four