142 PRINCE FILDERKIN

surroundings as those upon which he gazed.
The King had mounted the stairs, preceded
by four slaves who carried the crystal case
containing his great treasure, and the Prince
was at first inclined to follow at once, in
order to ascertain the exact spot in which
* this coveted object was kept. Prudence,
however, suggested a little delay, for if the
King had been aware of the presence of an
enemy when he had only passed by him, he
would be surely still more likely to discover
him under his own roof, and the greatest
caution would be necessary to prevent that
discovery.

So the Prince waited quietly at the foot
of the stairs for a short time, and seeing a
comfortable arm-chair at no great distance,
thought he might as well sit down, and wait
tillsomething turned up. Accordingly, down
he sat, and as one cannot sit down very
comfortably with a banjo under one’s left
arm, he put the instrument upon his knees,
quite forgetting that he ceased to be invisible
the moment he did so. He added some-
thing, moreover, to the danger of his situa-
tion, by going fast asleep before he had
been three minutes in his chair.