thought or thanks. 

 I stood there a long time, one foot upon the coping and my chin upon my hand, noting the beauty of the ruined town and wondering how such a feeble race as that which lay about, breakfasting in the limpid sunshine, could have come by a city like this, or kept even the ruins of its walls and buildings from the covetousness of others, until presently there was a rustle of primrose garments and my friend of the day before stood by me. 

 "Are you rested, traveller?" she questioned in that pretty voice of hers. 

 "Rested ambrosially, An." 

 "It is well; I will tell the Government and it will come up to wash and dress you, afterwards giving you breakfast." 

 "For the breakfast, damsel, I shall be grateful, but as for the washing and dressing I will defend myself to the last gasp sooner than submit to such administration." 

 "How strange! Do you never wash in your country?" 

 "Yes, but it is a matter left largely to our own discretion; so, my dear girl, if you will leave me for a minute or two in quest of that meal you have mentioned, I will guarantee to be ready when it comes." 

 Away she slipped, with a shrug of her rosy shoulders, to return presently, carrying a tray covered with a white cloth, whereon were half a dozen glittering covers whence came most fragrant odours of cooked things. 

 "Why, comrade," I said, sitting down and lifting lid by lid, for the cold, sweet air outside had made me hungry, "this is better than was hoped for; I thought from what I saw down yonder I should have to trot behind a tumbril for my breakfast, and eat it on my heels amongst your sleepy friends below." 

 An replied, "The stranger is a prince, we take it, in his own country, and princes fare not quite like common people, even here." 

 "So," I said, my mouth full of a strange, unknown fish, and a cake soft as milk and white as cotton in the pod.  "Now that makes me feel at home!" 

 "Would you have had it otherwise with us?" 

 "No! now I come to think of it, it is most natural things should be much alike in all the corners of the universe; the splendid simplicity that rules the spheres, works much the same, no doubt, upon one side of the sun as upon 

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