As was expected, these royal ladies dropped away from the English class, and ere long none were left excepting a few young wives of the king who were ambitious to please His Majesty and to be able to converse with him in English. As the ladies left the English class, they wished us to visit them in their homes; which we did, taking with us our Christian books in Siamese, which some of them were fond of reading. I remember a servant of one of the princesses who eagerly read our books, and would give us a full account of what she had read in one book before receiving another. The little English class was continued, and books and maps were procured for its persevering members. They made commendable progress, though often interrupted by fêtes and festivals and play-days. One of them one day asked me with seriousness what could be done to make the king young. On the spur of the moment I replied, “Oh, have him advance in knowledge and goodness; that will keep him young.” The answer, so unpremeditated, pleased the young wife. I think she whispered it in the ear of the king, to his great satisfaction and delight, for he had a very homely as well as old face. The king was called Chon Chewitt (“lord of life”), and woe betide the one who would dare to cross his will! One day I was conversing with these young wives, when one of them whispered, “Hush! hush!” I inquired the reason, and she significantly pointed toward the king’s quarters and drew her hand across her neck, as much as to say, “To converse on such a subject might displease His Majesty, and he could take off our heads.” I was credibly informed that he ordered one of his wives to be put in chains and in prison for forgetting to wear a certain ring which he had ordered to be worn on a certain day. One of our pupils, a sweet-faced young girl, stole the king’s spectacles, and sold them――to increase her spending-money, I suppose. I asked to be led to her quarters, thinking I might be of some service to her. I went, and upon arriving at the place, a sort of enclosed court with open rooms, I inquired for her, and her pleasant face peeped out from behind a screen, where she was confined, and returned my salutations. She seemed totally untroubled by her situation; its commonness made the disgrace unfelt, I suppose. Presently a female officer passed and turned a stern eye upon me, and I quietly left, seeing that I could be of no service there.