Chapter II.

On the morning of the morrow George of York rose betimes, ere the household of the Governor had yet bestirred them, and peregrinated round and about the precincts of the domiciliary residence of His Grace of Ran-furly.

Whilst taking pleasure in a meandering jaunt came he upon one seated upon a slip-rail, with a halo of the latest pattern and No. 12 size disseminated about his being.

On closer examination his quick perception descried that the right hand of the man was bound and bandaged with the finest silk and wadding of wool. Approaching him with something of hauteur in his stride and laughter in his eye, he spake:—

"Give thee good morrow, sir, an' I pry not unseemingly into thy affairs, what sore travail art in, and what ails thy dexter hand?"

"And that be so, verily will I shake thee by the other hand, and thou mayst then carry the twain in slings, for am I not George, Duke of York, and the son of my father, even he of whom you spake." And with hearty enthusiasm shook he the hand of the man and kissed him upon the lower jaw, the which great dignity necessitated the slinging of the left hand and the binding up of the jaw. (Nota Bene.—It has been rumoured that the poor mortal is sore distraught, nigh unto starvation, in that he may not use either hand, nor masticate with the sacred jaw, to kiss which is the ambition of many of the maids of the province.)

Having completed these momentous salutations braced he up his vest and departed.

* * * * * * *

A levee and reception of great importance had been arranged in the frenoon and eftsoons. The richly emblazoned equipages of Wellington's nobility and most high did majestically sweep unto the portals of the Governmental residence.

First came Dick the Great. Of a truth he had risen him ere breakfast was served on this morning of great promise, and spruce and gay was he in his Court dress and ample trunk hose.

The men of letters and Senators now began to arrive, and were brought, before the Royal notice by Dick O'Seddon.

First of whom came George, the son of Fisher (better known as "The People's George "). "An', if your Royal Highness will permit us, we will present to thee our true and trusty lieutenant and well-tried henohman. Were it not for his timely and judicious forethought, during mine absence on a little business concerning a dog the great colony of New Zealand might now figure on the terrestrial sphere. We commend him to thy notice and good pleasure.

"And here comes another of our tried and trusty ones, Hall, the son of Jones, what, tho' he be slim of dial and slender of shank, and the winter wind blow thro' his nether vestments, still he loves us for the measures we have passed, and we love him that he doth worship us. It gives us pleasure to drive him in our carriage on our many jauntings, and for these many good and excellent qualities we do commend him to your Highness's loving notice.

"And here cometh another, what tho' he be not quite of our thinking (Parani, to wit), still methinks he may incline more thereunto when he has the wit to imbibe somewhat of our character and life essence. Still, for his many qualities, which are that he is like unto a bird or a fish, inasmuch as he can be in two places at the one time, and that he hath ever an answer ready ere the ques-

Sir Harthor (to deputation of cadets) "Want to assist in the celebrations do you? Im sorry, but there's not going to be any fighting; so I don't see where you would come in." Cadet: "Oh, don't you. Well you should just see us EAT!"

tion be put, and his repartee, his pungency and point, is like unto the festive wasp. But we commend him to thy fellowship.

"And here, again, cometh one of right and merry case, even Tommy, the son of Wilford. Even tho' his worst fault be his maidenly reserve and shyness, withal he knoweth the best trout streams in the province, and hath ever a good tip for tho Walkover Stakes. He can also spin a roguish yarn, I wot, as occasion may require. We would request thee to take no umbrage, and thou see'st many and various presentments of expression ever and anon flit o'er his Napoleonic visage, insomuch as his face hath been known to slip, so to speak, before the eyes of the judicial bench. But for his jovial fellowship and extreme youth we commend him to thee.

"Here we have James, the son of Carroll. We love him for his size, for a great man, even as we are, doth ever command respect, and for his love of ourself, which doth show his bettor judgment. He hath also a great and watchful interest over the great tribes of the Maori. Were we not Dick (the Alexander), we would Carroll (the Diogenes).

"Here we have our other self, Jay Gee, the son of Ward, for manipulation of Finance and management of Post and Telegraph wo know not his equal. But now he hath ousted and worsted the stewards of the Racing Club, in a merry bout, single-handed, and come out of it seathless and with much praise, even as the battle royal with the monkey in the dusthole."

And so were the Ministers and men of learning presented with much decorum and ceremony, after which the talking, barracking, and speechifying became general, when up and spake Tom, the son of Wilford:—"An' it please your Highness, any fine afternoon when thou hath a spare day, we will a-fishing go (an' we have no great case in the Courts), or a-potting of the frisky rabbit."

"A plague upon thy backward and retiring nature, O Wilford," quoth Dick; "when that, we have finished with the Dook's pleasure, then mayst thou chip in and amuse the remnants thereof."

"Hast ever heard of our Great Grand Trunk Railway, O Prince?" cried a Minister whose name we disremember.

"Peradventure, an' thy wit can find no better theme of conversation," roared Dick. "Thou hadst liefer put a muzzle upon thy rat-trap."

"'Tis regrettable that our esteemed friend and brother, George, the son of Hutchison, be not here to welcome thee, O Duke," put in one, Russell, a Captain and leader of men. "'Twas he unearthed the Bun Tuck, of which".

"A murrain upon thy plaguey tongue wagging, thou slip-rail on toast," whispered Dick in a voice trembling with passion.

Then cried Tom, the son of Wilford—"Aye, Captain, that same Bun Tuck was a merry bit of chatter, but for my fancy the Marine of the Rigg seemed." Then up and spake Dick with mighty wrath:—

"Spare-me-days, and must thou put in thy spoke, thou interfering blatherskite; out upon thee for a dodgasted nincompoop."

"Up against yer duck-house, Tommy," cried a voice.

"Methinks 'twould interest His Highness more," quoth Jay Gee, "to know that an' we please wo can show them of the Old Country something in Budgets and Surplusses."

"It was our intention, O Prince, to build a Town Hall wherein to receive your noble person, but that no man would undertake to build it within the month."

"Oh, Jay Gee," moaned Dick in piteous accents, "doth not thy better wit counsel thee to keep thy oxygen-box closed, lest thou steppest into it with thy hoof. (And a tear glistened in his eye.) We had thought better things of thee, and now hast thou chilled our hopes, ever as the snows of Egmont."

"The frost of the Grand Trunk methinks were a better simile," spake up Parani.

"By the Holy Piper! Gadsooks! Contamination! and fishhooks, an' thou closest not thy smoke-funnel, thou spontaneous gas-bottle. I'll trounce thy addle-pate with my trusty quarterstaff. By hilt and point, I'll no more of it. Hist, O Dook, an' we'll tell thee of ourselves, and