THE SEA-SERPENT. 
63 
fright. Then they went down to their banquet 
# 
again, and sat down and ate and drank like men. 
ii. 
They had not sat long, when their monarch 
arose, and said, u I feel the great need of health¬ 
ful diversion, and have therefore decided, if no 
one oppose, to go off for some weeks on a sea¬ 
side excursion. The fact is, I think that the du¬ 
ties of state have somewhat enfeebled my vigor of 
late. I have therefore concluded to shut up my 
house, to throw off the purple and put on a 
blouse, and for some weeks at least in the sea- 
surf to souse. If any remain here, why, keep 
up my court ; my squids here will make you 
some excellent sport . 11 I shall start this evening, 
but hardly know to which of the beaches I ? d 
better go ; let me see,” — and here he took 
from a heap of letters some circulars, nicely 
printed, sent by those clever men who keep 
hotels, in which it was more than hinted that 
nothing would give them half so much pleasure 
