170 PRINCE FILDERKIN

the admiration of all the company, and
returned thanks for the healths of the brides-
maids—who were all daughters of mounte-
banks, and duly hump-backed like their sires
—in appropriate terms.

But the real service which he added to
those which he had already rendered Prince
Filderkin, was in the important matter of
going away after the wedding. How to do
this had been a matter of some difficulty to
the Prince, since he had no idea how to find
his way home with his beloved Princess,
unless some charm could be furnished him
by means of which he could again overcome
the obstacles which he had encountered on
his journey to the Golden Mountains. Feeble
John, however, solved the whole difficulty in
a trice. Approaching the happy pair as
they stood together, whispering soft words
and looking out for the rice which sundry of
the mountebanks were prepared to throw at
them as soon as they should start, the
venerable magician laid his hands solemnly
upon both their heads and pronounced with
great emphasis the words ‘Ton d’ apomei-
bomenos.’ :

Scarcely had he done so when a noise as