spect me of designs inimical to the
welfare of the kingdom?"

"Listen to the report made by Koshnili," replied Hushnoly, who
unrolled a document he held in his hand, and read as follows:

"_To His Majesty_, KING ALDEMEGRY BHOOLMAKAR, _of Atvatabar,
greeting_: Your faithful minister begs to report that his
private wayleals have followed his excellency, the alien
commander, Lexington White, and followers from their arrival
in Kioram until their reception at Egyplosis. The
illustrious strangers, after landing on our soil, travelled
by sacred locomotive from Kioram to Calnogor, and were there
the guests of your majesty, after which they attended a
feast of worship to the supreme goddess in the Bormidophia.
The illustrious strangers were then received by her holiness
in her palace of Tanje. While lingering here my wayleals,
from the ramparts of the palace, saw his excellency the
alien commander, in company with her holiness, enter the
silver pleasure boat. Their long-continued interview in the
palace garden testified that a mutual affinity had drawn the
illustrious personages together. From later observation my
faithful wayleals are convinced that in the palace garden of
Tanje was begun the awful possibility of a twin soul of our
deity, and the alien commander, and the consequent apostasy
of the supreme goddess, and her renunciation of Harikar.

"My faithful wayleals further report that while travelling
on the aerial ship from Calnogor to Egyplosis, they obtained
further evidence of the consummation of a deific and alien
twin soul. The principals sat apart from all others, on a
seat at the prow of the vessel, and the report of their
conversation will justify your majesty in believing that a
sacrilegious twin soul already exists in defiance of civil
and religious law, her holiness and the alien commander
being the illustrious components.

"Awaiting the further commands of your majesty, I remain,
with profound veneration,

"Your majesty's faithful servant,

"KOSHNILI."

I gasped for breath at hearing so brutal a dissection of our hearts. I
was thunderstruck. I could only ask Hushnoly what he had to say on the
situation.

"That you love each other, I need not ask," said he; "that may be
taken for gra