sexton, as, with trembling
fingers, he fumbled for the key. Pushing open the door, he stood timidly
aside, and suddenly the disheveled figure of a man without cloak or hat
rushed wildly past him. He neither turned nor spoke, but passed swiftly
out into the darkness of the night, and the bewildered sexton soon lost
sight of him.

Despoiled of his kingly garments, breathless and splashed with mire,
King Robert rushed on till he came to the palace gates. He strode
through the courtyard, thrusting aside the men-servants and pages who
tried to bar his path, and hurried up the broad marble staircase.
Rapidly he passed through the royal apartments, his face white with
anger rendered still more ghastly by the glare of the torches; he heeded
no one, nor stopped in his headlong course till he reached the great
banqueting-hall.

[Illustration]

Here a grand feast was in progress, and the hall blazed with the light
of thousands of wax candles. And to Robert's utter amazement, on the
throne sat another king wearing his robes and crown, and, to all outward
appearance, King Robert himself. None present, not even Robert himself,
recognized that the supposed king was an angel in disguise. Wearied of
the King's evil ways he had come down to earth to punish the monarch of
Sicily and humble his pride, and this was the way he had chosen to carry
out his purpose.

For a while the throneless King gazed with mingled anger and
astonishment at the angel, who met his glance with a look of compassion,
and then said: "Who art thou, and why comest thou hither?" to which the
King haughtily replied: "I am the King, and come to claim my throne from
the impostor who usurps it."

At these audacious words the guests sprang up in anger and drew their
swords to slay the man who dared speak thus to the King, but the angel
answered calmly: "Thou art not the King, but henceforth thou shalt be
the king's jester and wear cap and bells and motley. As counselor thou
shalt lead an ape, and thou shalt obey my servants and wait on my
hench-men."

No sooner said than done. Deaf to King Robert's cries, prayers, and
entreaties, the men-at-arms thrust him from the hall. A group of
tittering pages ran before him and threw wide open the great
folding-doors. And now the King's heart was filled with alarm, for he
heard shouts of rude laughter and mocking cries of "Long live the King!"
and he realized that no one in the kingdom either knew or cared who he
really was.