KING PEPPEL. 369 



stool in front of a wattle-and-dab hut — his palace — 

 whilst three ugly-looking women, almost in a state 

 of nudity, were scratching his back, and catching 

 the vermin in his head, which they immolated in a 

 charcoal fire. As I approached, His Majesty looked 

 up with a semi-idiotic leer, and offered me his hand 

 to shake, but I took the will for the deed, and kept 

 mine in my pocket. This slight somewhat vexed 

 the old savage, for he gave vent to his spleen by 

 fetching one of his " dames d' honor " a lively spank 

 on that part of the person not usually exposed to 

 the air in civilised countries, and rolled her over 

 amongst the ashes. She picked herself up pretty 

 smartly, and gave utterance to her lacerated feelings 

 in what I dare say was the choicest Bonny 

 " Billingsgate," which evidently had the effect of 

 amusing her lord and master, for the more she 

 vociferated the harder he roared with laughter. 

 At last he tried to repeat his little game with a 

 second charmer, but she, wide-a-wake to his move, 

 dodged him, and being drunk he fell off his stool, 

 and landed amongst some of the hot embers, where 

 2b 



