of a realm which--"

The Emperor--"Oh, d--n the Address!--read it to the police.

Chamberlain, take these people over to my brother, the Grand Duke's, and

give them a square meal. Adieu! I am happy--I am gratified--I am

delighted--I am bored. Adieu, adieu--vamos the ranch! The First Groom

of the Palace will proceed to count the portable articles of value

belonging to the premises."

The farce then closed, to be repeated again with every change of the

watches, and embellished with new and still more extravagant inventions

of pomp and conversation.

At all times of the day and night the phraseology of that tiresome

address fell upon our ears. Grimy sailors came down out of the foretop

placidly announcing themselves as "a handful of private citizens of

America, traveling simply for recreation and unostentatiously," etc.; the

coal passers moved to their duties in the profound depths of the ship,

explaining the blackness of their faces and their uncouthness of dress,

with the reminder that they were "a handful of private citizens,

traveling simply for recreation," etc., and when the cry rang through the

vessel at midnight: "EIGHT BELLS!--LARBOARD WATCH, TURN OUT!" the

larboard watch came gaping and stretching out of their den, with the

everlasting formula: "Aye-aye, sir! We are a handful of private citizens

of America, traveling simply for recreation, and unostentatiously, as

becomes our unofficial state!"

460

The Innocents Abroad