122 PRINCE FILDERKIN

‘Who are you ?’

The Prince was at some loss for a reply
to this question. He had been brought up
to believe it right to tell the truth, and, more-
over, he remembered that Feeble John had
expressly desired him to be civil to every-
body with whom he should meet. On the
other hand, while the tone and manner of
the little man were barely so courteous as to
invite civility, the disclosure of his name and
rank (even though the object of his visit to
the mountain were concealed) might lead
to difficulties and give rise to suspicions
which it was most desirable to avoid.
Upon the whole, therefore, he. deemed it
the best and wisest course to give a general
answer, which, without being uncivil, should
reveal nothing which had better remain
hidden. So he gave a most polite bow,
and replied :

‘Sir, I am a traveller.’

‘Any fool could tell c#at,’ returned the
other, ‘but who and what are you? I
thought at first you were Jack—but then
where is Jill? Z/ey come up now and then,
for a sensible reason enough, although they
do not as a rule get anything but a cracked