132 PRINCE RICARDO. .

 

CHAPTER III.

The Adventure ue the repens

  
  
 
   
   
 

sICK went on with his
breakfast. He ate cold .
pastry, and poached
eggs, and ham, and
rolls, and raspberry jam, and
hot cakes; and he drank two
cups of coffee. Mean-
while the king had joined
the tradesmen who attended
Y by his orders. They were all
met in the royal study, where

the king made them a most
- splendid bow, and _ requested

them to be seated. But they
declined to sit in his sacred presence, and
the king observed that, in that case he must
stand up.

‘““T have invited you here, gentlemen,’ he
said, ‘‘on a matter of merely private import-
ance, but I must request that you will be entirely
silent as to the nature of your duties. It is
difficult, I know, not to talk about one’s work,
but in this instance I am sure you will oblige me.”