PRINCE RICARDO. 155

 

Now Green Stocking was the chief herald of
Pantouflia, just like Blue Mantle in England.

‘* Why, these are the Royal Arms of England,
you great ignorant Dick!”

‘But Rome isn’t in England, is it >—and
the post-mark is ‘Roma’: that’s Rome in
some lingo, I expect. It is in Latin, anyhow,
I know. Mortwus est Rome —‘He died at
Rome.’ It’s in the Latin Grammar. Let’s
see what the fellow says, anyhow,” added
Ricardo, breaking the seal.

“‘He begins, ‘Prins and dear Cousin!’ I
say, Jaqueline, he spells it ‘Prins;’ now it is
P-R-1-n-c-E. He must be an ignorant fellow!”

‘‘People in glass houses should not throw
stones, Dick,” said Jaqueline.

‘‘He signs himself ‘ Charles, P. W.,’” said
Ricardo, looking at the end. ‘‘ Who on earth
can he be? Why does he not put ‘P. W.
Charles,’ if these are his initials? Look here,
it’s rather a long letter; you might read it to
us, Jack!”

The princess took the epistle and began:

‘How nice it smells, all scented! The paper
is gilt-edged, too.”

‘“‘Luxurious beggar, whoever he is,” said
Ricardo.

“Well, he says: ‘ Prins and dear Cousin,—
You and me’ (oh, what grammar!) ‘are much
the same age, I being fifteen next birthday, and
we should be better ackwainted. All the wurld

TT