[IV]
A ROYAL AUDIENCE
At the door of St. James's Palace all but a few of the throng which followed the Indian chiefs and the Weisers were denied entrance. The finely dressed gentleman who had spoken to the Indians, and who evidently knew their own language, was allowed to pass under the stone archway and into the court and thence into the palace itself. The Indians still led the way, traveling quietly along through intricate passages and tapestry-hung halls. Courtiers passed them with curious stares.
Still they kept the two Weisers behind the leader. Presently they halted in a room where there was a fire blazing on the hearth and where fine ladies laughed and talked. On the opposite side from the entrance a thick curtain hung over a doorway. The leading chief walked directly toward it and there paused, the procession behind him coming to a stop. A little lady sitting by the fire accepted a challenge from her companions to salute the strangers, and came across the floor, her high heels tapping as she walked.
"O great King of Rivers," said she to the foremost Indian, "who are these your companions?"
The Indian's answer was interpreted by the gayly dressed gentleman who understood his tongue.
"The King of Rivers says that these are his friends."
"Thank you, Colonel Schuyler. Tell the King of Rivers that his friends need a red blanket like his own and—"
What else they needed Conrad and his father were not to hear. The curtain before them was lifted, and from the other side a high, clear voice announced,—
"The chiefs of the Mohawk Nation!"