"I wonder who she is?" the king went on speaking to himself. "That great booby, Ricardo, saved her from wild birds, which were just going to eat her. She was fastened to a mountain top, but _where_? that's the question. Ricardo never has any notion of geography. It was across the sea, he noticed _that_; but which sea,--Atlantic, Pacific, the Black Sea, the Caspian, the Sea of Marmora, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, the German Ocean, the Mediterranean? Her ornaments were very peculiar; there was a broad gold sun on her breast. I must look at them again some day. She said she was being sacrificed to wild birds (which her people worshipped), because there was some famine, or war, or trouble in the country. She said she was a Daughter of the Sun; but that, of course, is absurd, unless--By Jove! I believe I have it," said the king, and he went into the royal library and was looking for some old Spanish book, when his secretary came and said that the Russian Ambassador was waiting for an interview with his Majesty. "Dismal old Muscovite!" sighed the king. "A monarch has not a moment to himself for his private studies. Ah, Prigio! why wert thou not born to a private station? But Duty before everything," and wreathing his royal countenance in smiles, his Majesty prepared to give Count Snoreonski an audience. It was all about the attitude of Pantouflia in the event of a Polish invasion of Russia. The king reassured Count Snoreonski, affirming that Pantouflia, while deeply regretting the disturbed relations between two States in whose welfare she was deeply interested, would ever preserve an attitude of benevolent neutrality, unless her own interests were threatened. "I may give your message to my august mistress, the Czarina?" said the ambassador. "By all means, adding an expression of my tender interest in her Majesty's health and welfare," said the king, presenting the count at the same time with a magnificent diamond snuffbox containing his portrait. The old count was affected to tears, and withdrew, while King Prigio said: "I have not lost a day; I have made an amiable but very stupid man happy." Such are, or rather such were, the toils of monarchs! CHAPTER V. Prince Ricardo Crosses the Path of History. {Hand reaching for a crown with wings: p83.jpg} "I say, Jack," said Prince Ricardo one morning, "here's a queer letter for me!" King Prigio had gone to a distant part of his dominions, on business of importance, and the young people were sitting in the royal study. The letter, which Ricardo handed to Jaqueline, was written on a great broad sheet of paper, folded up without any envelope, as was the custom then, and was sealed with a huge seal in red wax. "I don't know the arms," Ricardo said. "Oh, Ricardo, how you _do_ neglect your Heraldry! Old Green Stocking is in despair over your ignorance." Now Green Stocking was the chief herald of Pantouflia, just like Blue Mantle in England.