THE GOOD OF A FEW WORDS

‘Aye, my foolish benefactor,” said he, aloud, ‘‘is it
thou, and art thou come so soon to redeem thy promise ?
Very well; come hither, 1 have something to say to
thee.”

Beppo came forward, and everybody stared. He came
close to the king, and the king laid his hand upon his
shoulder. Then he leaned over to Beppo and whispered
in his ear: “ A word, a-word, only a few words; if they
be spoken ill, they are ill; if they be spoken well, they
are more precious than gold and jewels.” Then he
laughed. ‘Is that what you would have me say?”
said he.

‘Yes, majesty,” said Beppo, and he bowed low and
withdrew.

But, lo and behold, what a change!

Suddenly he was transformed in the eyes of the whole
world. The crowd drew back to allow him to pass, and
everybody bowed low as he went along.

“Did you not see the king whisper to him?” said one.
“What could it be that the king said?” said another.
‘‘This must be a new favourite,” said a third.

He had come into the palace Beppo the Foolish; he
went forth Beppo the Great Man, and all because of a
few words the king had whispered in his ear.

Three days passed, and then Beppo went again to the
Goldsmith’s with the ring and a letter from the princess.
This time Sebastian the Goldsmith fitted him with a suit
of splendid plum-coloured silk and gave him a dappled
horse, and again Beppo and his two attendants rode away
to the palace. And this time every one knew him, and as
he went up the steps into the palace all present bowed to

135