PRINCE RICARDO. 229

 

at the Inca’s feet, and peauceted leave to marry
Jaqueline.

But, before that could be done, King Prigio,
mounted on the palace balcony, made a long
but very lucid speech to the assembled people.
He began by explaining that he was not their
God, Pachacamac, but king of a powerful country
of which they had never heard before, as they
lived very much withdrawn in an unknown
region of the world. Then he pointed out, in
the most considerate manner, that their religion
was not all he could wish, otherwise they would
never sacrifice young ladies to wild birds and
Earthquakers. He next sketched out the
merits of his own creed, that of the Lutheran
Church; and the Inca straightway observed
that he proposed to establish it in Manoa at
once.

Some objection was raised by the old priest
in the skull mask; but when the Inca promised
to make him an archbishop, and to continue all
his revenues, the priest admitted that he was
perfectly satisfied; and the general public
cheered and waved their hats with emotion.
It was arranged that the Inca, with his
other daughters, should visit Pantouflia im-
mediately, both because he could not bear
to leave Jaqueline, and also because there
were a few points on which he felt that he
still needed information. The Government
was left in the hands of the archbishop, who