"It is very unfortunate," said the Lord Functionary in acid tones. "I must insist," said his Majesty, "that you see to these omissions being made." And the Lord Functionary bowed his pained body over the hand which the King graciously extended. "Your Majesty must be obeyed," said he. It was a phrase that the King very seldom heard; it gave him a taste of power. "Max," said he to his son, upon their next meeting, "I have been doing as you advised. And I do believe you are right." "What did I advise?" inquired Max, assuming forgetfulness. "That I should 'do a bust' was, I think, your expression; something unexpected." "And how have you done it?" "I have censored _The Gaudy Girl_." Max whistled. IV The sibilations of that whistle were prophetic of atmospheric disturbance to come. In a week the storm broke. The King happened to be away, paying a visit of complimentary inspection to frontier fortresses and heard nothing about it. But on his return Max came to him charged with tidings. He stood over his father and looked at him with a note of satirical approval in his eye, which did not inspire the King with any confidence. "Sir, do you know what you have done?" His Majesty denied the impeachment. "I haven't done anything. Not yet." "You have revolutionized the drama! Even now, at this very moment, the great heart of Jingalo is throbbing from plushed stalls to gallery stair-rail. Because of you _The Gaudy Girl_ is playing its third night to an accompaniment of hilarious riot and uproar such as have not been known in our dramatic world since the public was forced to give up its right to free sittings." The King was startled; some alarm crept into his voice. "Do you mean that I have done harm?" "Not in the least; no, quite the reverse. But you have certainly doubled the play's fortune. The run is going to be tremendous." His Majesty felt flattered; had he not reason? For this surely must mean that he had rightly interpreted the public taste, and that what the popular will really wanted was a pure and carefully expurgated drama. But Max speedily undeceived him.