AFTER his return to the capital of Penguinia, the Reverend Father Agaric disclosed his projects to Prince Adelestan des Boscenos, of whose Draconian² sentiments he was well aware.

The Prince belonged to the highest nobility. The Torticol des Boscenos went back to Brian the Good, and under the Draconides had held the highest offices in the kingdom. In 1179, Philip Torticol, High Admiral of Penguinia, a brave, faithful, and generous, but vindictive³ man, delivered over the port of La Crique and the Penguin¹ fleet to the enemies of the kingdom, because he suspected that Queen Crucha, whose lover he was, had been unfaithful to him and loved a stable-boy. It was that great queen who gave to the Boscenos the silver warming-pan which they bear in their arms. As for their motto, it only goes back to the sixteenth century. The story of its origin is as follows: One gala night, as he mingled⁴ with the crowd of courtiers who were watching the fire-works in the king’s garden, Duke John des Boscenos approached the Duchess of Skull⁵ and put his hand under the petticoat of that lady, who made no complaint at the gesture. The king, happening to pass, surprised them and contented⁶ himself with saying, “And thus I find you.” These four words became the motto of the Boscenos.

Prince Adelestan had not degenerated⁷ from his ancestors. He preserved an unalterable fidelity⁸ for the race of the Draconides and desired nothing so much as the restoration of Prince Crucho, an event which was in his eyes to be the fore-runner of the restoration of his own fortune. He therefore readily entered into the Reverend Father Agaric’s plans. He joined himself at once to the monk’s projects, and hastened to put him into communication with the most loyal Royalists of his acquaintance, Count Clena, M. de la Trumelle, Viscount Olive, and M. Bigourd. They met together one night in the Duke of Ampoule’s country house, six miles

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