Part 46 (1/2)

The crowd of prisoners seated on benches round the walls had become attenuated; only about a score of them now remained. Women had been dealt with first, the residuum were men; the general charge against these was pocket-picking.

He had been sitting there for hours. It was now one o'clock.

”Now then, you!” said the voice of the sergeant in charge. His turn had come.

In an adjoining room he found his two accusers awaiting him. He was led up to a table where sat an official in uniform making entry of the names. A charge-sheet, nearly full, was spread on the table before him.

The policeman who had made the arrest gave in the charge.

”Name?” said the sergeant-clerk sharply, suspending the motion of his pen.

The King, still wearing his cap, took off his snow-gla.s.ses and turned down the collar of his coat.

It was no use. The officer looked at him without recognition.

”Name?” he said again; and the policeman upon his right, giving the King a rough jog, said, ”Tell the sergeant your name!” And so, it appeared, the useless formality must go on.

The King gave the two essentials--first-christian and surname--out of a long string of appendices for which half the sovereigns of Europe had stood as G.o.dfathers.

But the three words ”John Ganz-Wurst” meant nothing to the official ear.

Over the patronymic he paused in doubt when only halfway through. ”Spell it!” he said, and, at the King's dictation, altered his V into a W.

”Foreigner?” he grunted; Jingalese names he could spell properly.

”Of foreign extraction,” said the King, ”my great-grandfather came over to this country and was naturalized.”

”Oh, we don't want to hear about your great-grandfather!” said the sergeant, cutting him short.

At this moment one of the higher inspectors came into the room.

”Address--occupation?” went on his interlocutor, busy with his form.

The King named the dwelling from which he emanated.

”Come, come!” said the official voice, ”no nonsense here! What address?”

The inspector was now looking at the prisoner. He touched the sergeant upon the shoulder, and made a gesture for the two constables to stand back.

”Will you please to come this way, sir?” he said, in a tone of very marked respect.

The King followed him to an inner room.

The inspector closed the door. ”I beg your Majesty's pardon,” he said.

”This is a most regrettable occurrence. Fortunately, none of those men know.”

The King smiled. ”I tried not to give myself away before I was obliged to,” he said.

”Your Majesty must think we are all quite mad.”