Formerly, when a boy, in his visits to the Black Islands, he used to have a little companion of whom he was fond--Dora--Corny’s daughter. Missing her much, he inquired from her father where she was gone, and when she was likely to return. “She is gone off to the _continent_--to the continent of Ireland, that is; but not banished for any misdemeanour. You know,” said King Corny, “‘tis generally considered as a punishment in the Black Islands to be banished to Ireland. A threat of that kind, I find sufficient to bring the most refractory and ill-disposed of my subjects, if I had any of that description, to rason in the last resort; but to that ultimate law I have not recourse, except in extreme cases; I understand my business of king too well, to wear out either shame or fear; but you are no legislator yet, Prince Harry. So what was you asking me about Dora? She is only gone a trip to the continent, to her aunt’s, by the mother’s side, Miss O’Faley, that you never saw, to get the advantage of a dancing-master, which myself don’t think she wants--a natural carriage, with native graces, being, in my unsophisticated opinion, worth all the dancing-master’s positions, contortions, or drillings; but her aunt’s of a contrary opinion, and the women say it is essential. So let ‘em put Dora in the stocks, and punish her as they will, she’ll be the gladder to get free, and fly back from their continent to her own Black Islands, and to you and me--that is, to me--I ax your pardon, Harry Ormond; for you know, or I should tell you in time, she is engaged already to White Connal, of Glynn--from her birth. That engagement I made with the father over a bowl of punch--I promised--I’m afraid it was a foolish business--I promised if ever he, Old Connal, should have a son, and I should have a daughter, his son should marry my daughter. I promised, I say--I took my oath: and then Mrs. Connal that was, had, shortly after, not one son, but two--and twins they were: and I had--unluckily--ten years after, the daughter, which is Dora--and then as she could not marry both, the one twin was to be fixed on for her, and that was him they call White Connal--so there it was. Well, it was altogether a rash act! So you’ll consider her as a married woman, though she is but a child--it was a rash act, between you and I--for Connal’s not grown up a likely lad for the girl to fancy; but that’s neither here nor there: no, my word is passed--when half drunk, may be--but no matter--it must be kept sober--drunk or sober, a gentleman must keep his word--_à fortiori_ a king--_à fortiori_ King Corny. See! was there this minute no such thing as parchment, deed, stamp, signature, or seal in the wide world, when once Corny has squeezed a friend’s hand on a bargain, or a promise, ‘tis fast, was it ever so much against me--‘tis as strong to me as if I had squeezed all the lawyers’ wax in the creation upon it.”