'
"The Chamberlain wrung his hands despairingly.
"'But, your Majesty,' he wailed, 'the people are reverencing you
as a saint, and the nobles are being Christianized in batches, and
neighbouring potentates of that Faith are sending special envoys
to welcome you as a brother. There is some talk of making you the
patron saint of beehives, and a certain shade of honey-yellow has
been christened Vespaluusian gold at the Emperor's Court. You
can't surely go back on all this.'
"'I don't mind being reverenced and greeted and honoured,' said
Vespaluus; 'I don't even mind being sainted in moderation, as long
as I'm not expected to be saintly as well. But I wish you clearly
and finally to understand that I will NOT give up the worship of
the august and auspicious serpents.'
"There was a world of unspoken bear-pit in the way he uttered
those last words, and the mulberry-dark eyes flashed dangerously.
"'A new reign,' said the Chamberlain to himself, 'but the same old
temper.'
"Finally, as a State necessity, the matter of the religions was
compromised. At stated intervals the king appeared before his
subjects in the national cathedral in the character of St.
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