164 PRINCE RICARDO.

 

“ Let’s start at once,” he said, and, inducing
Prince Charles to sit down on the magic.
carpet, he cried:

“England! St. James’s Palace!”

But nothing happened !

The carpet was not the right magic carpet, but
the one which King Prigio had put in its place.
“Get on! England, I said!” cried Dick.

But there they remained, under the chestnut
tree, sitting on the carpet above the flowery
grass.

Prince Charles leaped to his feet; his face
like fire, his eyes glowing.

‘“‘ Enough of this fooling, sir!’’ hesaid. “‘It
is easy, but cowardly, to mock at an unfortunate
prince. Take your carpet and be off with you,
out of the gardens, or your shoulders shall
taste my club.”

“There has been some mistake,” Ricardo
said; ‘the wrong carpet has been brought
by accident, or the carpet has lost its power.”

‘Tn this sacred city, blessed by the presence
of his Holiness the Pope, and the relics of so
many martyrs and saints, magic may well cease
to be potent,” said the Duke of York.

‘‘Nonsense! You are an impostor, sir!
Leave my presence!” cried Prince Charles,
lifting his golf-club.

Dick caught it out of his hand, and broke
across his knee as fine a driver as ever came
from Robertson’s shop at St. Andrew’s.