in many
other abodes in Mardi. Daily, his jaws are replenished, as a flower
vase in summer.

But did the demi-divine Media thus brook the perpetual presence of a
subaltern divinity? Still more; did he render it homage? But ere long
the Mardian mythology will be discussed, thereby making plain what
may now seem anomalous.

Politely escorting us into his palace, Media did the honors by
inviting his guests to recline. He then seemed very anxious to
impress us with the fact, that, by bringing us to his home, and
thereby charging the royal larder with our maintenance, he had taken
no hasty or imprudent step. His merry butlers kept piling round us
viands, till we were well nigh walled in. At every fresh deposit,
Media directing our attention to the same, as yet additional evidence
of his ample resources as a host. The evidence was finally closed by
dragging under the eaves a felled plantain tree, the spike of red
ripe fruit, sprouting therefrom, blushing all over, at so rude an
introduction to the notice of strangers.

During this scene, Jarl was privily nudging Samoa, in wonderment, to
know what upon earth it all meant. But Samoa, scarcely deigning to
notice interrogatories propounded through the elbow, only let drop a
vague hint or two.

It was quite amusing, what airs Samoa now gave himself, at least
toward my Viking. Among the Mardians he was at home. And who,
when there, stretches not out his legs, and says unto himself, "Who
is greater than I?"

To be plain: concerning himself and the Skyeman, the tables were
turned. At sea, Jarl had been the oracle: an old sea-sage, learned in
hemp and helm. But our craft high and dry, the Upoluan lifted his
crest as the erudite pagan; master of Gog and Magog, expounder of all
things heathenish and obscure.

An hour or two was now laughed away in very charming conversation
with Media; when I hinted, that a couch and solitude would be
acceptable. Whereupon, seizing a taper, our host escorted us without
the palace. And ushering us into a handsome unoccupied mansion, gave
me to understand that the same was mine. Mounting to the dais, he
then instituted a vigorous investigation, to discern whether every
thing was in order. Not fancying something about the mats, he rolled
them up into bundles, and one by one sent them flying at the heads of
his servitors; who, upon that gentle hint made off with them, soon
after returning with fresh ones. These, with mathematical precision,
Media