Our young people watched them until the last one had passed by, then they too passed on, in search of other sights and scenes.
CHAPTER XVI.
After the procession had passed, Mercury turned and said:
“Well! What do you think of it for a spectacular pageant?”
“Think of it?” exclaimed Ione, “I never even dreamed of anything so beautiful.”
“It even surpasses the royal elephant and camel processions of Siam, in which all the animals are caparisoned with gold and silver and jewels. Until I had seen this wonderful procession, I thought nothing could surpass that,” said the Princess.
“You certainly have given us a treat,” said the Prince and Harold.
“Now, I think you would enjoy boarding a barge and taking a trip along the Milky Way, visiting some of the strange countries that border it and inspecting some of the palaces that line this silvery stream on either side.”
Mercury went to procure a barge for them and soon called to them to come down and enter it. It was high at the back with a raised divan shaded by silken curtains and waving palms. The front was high and pointed and stood well out of the stream of sparkling stars beneath it. Its trimmings were of purple and gold which fell over the side in graceful festoons. There were seats for six, two high carved chairs on the divan, resembling seats on a royal throne, while the others were beneath the three steps of the raised platform.
Harold and Ione insisted upon the Prince and Princess occupying the elevated seats and impersonating king and queen while they would sit beneath them as their loyal subjects, but the Prince and Princess would not agree to this.