it. But he
could get no answer from him, and we found out afterwards that he was
only a wax figure."

"The best thig of all," remarked A. Fish, Esq., "was whed we all
pretended that we--"

"Dear me, it's very warm!" interrupted the Doctor-in-Law. "Let's
change the subject."

"Pretended that we--" continued A. Fish, Esq.

"Hush--sh--sh--!" cried the Doctor-in-Law in a warning voice.

"The fact of the matter is," explained the Rhymester, "the
Doctor-in-Law got us all to pretend that we were wax figures
ourselves, and he tied little money boxes in front of us with the
words: 'Put a penny in the slot and the figure will move,' written on
them, and when anyone put a penny in we all moved our heads and rolled
our eyes about."

"I didn't!" said the Wallypug.

"No, I know you didn't," replied the Rhymester. "And the Doctor-in-Law
had to explain that you were out of order, and that's how we were
found out, for the people wanted their money back and he wouldn't give
it to them, so they called the attendant, and we had to go out as
quickly as we could."

"Ad wasn't id beade?" said A. Fish, Esq. "There were four shillings
ad threepedce id the boxes, ad the Doctor-id-Law wouldn't give us a
penny of id."

"Well, I let you pay my fare home. That amounted to the same thing,"
replied the little man.

Just then Mrs. Putchy came in with afternoon tea, and I joined my
guests in the drawing-room.

CHAPTER VIII

HIS MAJESTY IS INTERVIEWED

The next morning we were all seated around the breakfast table
laughing over our adventures of the evening before, when we had
visited the Earl's Court Exhibition together. We had been up in the
Great Wheel, and having passed through the pretty old English village
were walking around the artificial lake listening to the band playing
in their little pavilion on the island in the middle, when the
Doctor-in-Law declared that he heard a strange trumpeting sound, and
asked me what it could be. I had not heard it and so could not tell
him, and we were just discussing the matter when the Wallypug clutched
wildly at his crown, and turning around we saw a huge elephant lifting
it gracefully off his head with its trunk.

Directly his Majesty realized what it was, he gave a wild scream and
took to his heels, as did all the others, with the exception of the
Rhymester, who tripped against a stone and lay with his head buried in
his arms for some time, kicking and screaming for help.

Of c