Part 21 (2/2)

”I a, and you are an impostor!”

The courtiers started from their seats, and drew their swords They would have killed the crazy ; but he raised his hand and stopped the into Robert's eyes he said, ”Not the king; you shall be the king's jester! You shall wear the cap and bells, and hter for my court You shall be the servant of the servants, and your cohter, the courtiers drove Robert of Sicily frohter, too, pushed hiht the jester's wretched ape, and put a fool's cap and bells on Robert's head It was like a terrible dream; he could not believe it true, he could not understand what had happened to hi, he believed it was a dreaain But as he turned his head, he felt the coarse straw under his cheek instead of the soft pillow, and he saw that he was in the stable, with the shi+vering ape by his side

Robert of Sicily was a jester, and no one knew hi years passed Sicily was happy and all things ell under the king, as not Robert Robert was still the jester, and his heart was harder and bitterer with every year Many ti, who had his face and voice, had called him to himself, when none else could hear, and had asked him the one question, ”Who art thou?” And each time that he asked it his eyes looked into Robert's eyes, to find his heart But each time Robert threw back his head and answered, proudly, ”I arew sad and stern

At the end of three years, the Pope bade the E of Sicily, his brothers, to a greatof Sicily went, with all his soldiers and courtiers and servants,--a great procession of horserand train, ht armor, riders in wonderful cloaks of velvet and silk, servants, carrying marvelous presents to the Pope And at the very end rode Robert, the jester

His horse was a poor old thing, many-colored, and the ape rode with hih which they passed ran after the jester, and pointed and laughed

The Pope received his brothers and their trains in the square before Saint Peter's Withof Sicily welcoreeted hih the crowd and threw himself before the Pope

”Look at me!” he cried; ”I am your brother, Robert of Sicily! This man is an i!”

The Pope looked at the poor jester with pity, but the E of Sicily, and said, ”Is it not rather dangerous, brother, to keep athe serving- and the ereat services in the cathedral So wonderful and holy seemed to make all these services more beautiful than ever before All the people of Roel were there Men thought of God, and felt his blessing on theht the beautiful feeling And when Easter Day careat churches, filled with flowers, and sith incense, the kneeling people listened to the choirs singing, and it was like the voices of angels; their prayers were lad; there was so heavenly in Rome

Robert of Sicily went to the services with the rest, and sat in the huain he heard the sweet voices of the choirs chant the Latin words he had heard long ago: ”He hath put down the ree” And at last, as he listened, his heart was softened He, too, felt the strange blessed presence of a heavenly power He thought of God, and of his oickedness; he reood he had done; he realized, that his power had not been froht, as he crept to his bed of straw, he wept, not because he was so wretched, but because he had not been a better king when poas his

At last all the festivities were over, and the King of Sicily went hoain, with his people Robert the jester ca, there was a special service in the royal church, and even after the service was over for the people, theand praise The sound of their singing careat banquet roo his royal robes and his crohile reet hi he wanted to be alone; but he coether the king looked into Robert's eyes, as he had done before, and said, softly, ”Who art thou?”

Robert of Sicily bowed his head ”Thou knowest best,” he said, ”I only know that I have sinned”

As he spoke, he heard the voices of the hty from their seat,”--and his head sank lower But suddenly the ht shone all about

As Robert raised his eyes, he saw the face of the king s on earth, and as he sank to his knees before the glory of that s on a single string:--

”I a!”

Then Robert of Sicily was alone His royal robes were upon hi And when the courtiers ca by his throne, absorbed in silent prayer

THE JEALOUS COURTIERS[1]

[1] Adapted froiven in the Geren (D C Heath & Co)

I wonder if you have ever heard the anecdote about the artist of Dusseldorf and the jealous courtiers This is it It seems there was once a very famous artist who lived in the little town of Dusseldorf

He did such fine work that the Elector, Prince Johann Wilhelm, ordered a portrait statue of himself, on horseback, to be done in bronze The artist was overjoyed at the commission, and worked early and late at the statue

At last the as done, and the artist had the great statue set up in the public square of Dusseldorf, ready for the opening view The Elector came on the appointed day, and with him came his favorite courtiers from the castle Then the statue was unveiled It was very beautiful,-- so beautiful that the prince exclaih, and presently he turned to the artist and shook hands with hireat artist, and this statue will reater than it is; the portrait of me is perfect!”

When the courtiers heard this, and saw the friendly hand-grasp, their jealousy of the artist was beyond bounds Their one thought was, how could they safely do so to humiliate him They dared not pick flaws in the portrait statue, for the prince had declared it perfect

But at last one of thereat frankness, ”Indeed, Herr Grupello, the portrait of his Royal Highness is perfect; but permit me to say that the statue of the horse is not quite so successful: the head is too large; it is out of proportion”