Alas for the vanity of human hopes! Immediately on falling asleep he dreamed he was once more standing before his army, saluting them with mighty leaps and wonderful contortions of body. He awakened to find himself sprawling on the floor, with the hide of his predecessor slit from the jointure of the tail entirely to the neck!
His struggles in dreamland had precipitated the catastrophe. There was not string enough in the building to repair this last rent, even had he been sufficiently skillful to thread it into the partially decayed hide.
To appear in public on the balcony was no longer possible, and he was a king only while he could remain hidden from view. When the least intelligent of his subjects got a glimpse of him his crown was lost, never more to be recovered, and Goliah would reign in his stead—Goliah, from whom he might expect the most cruel reprisals for the temporary loss of power.
Philip was so certain a cruel fate awaited him that he immediately began to barricade the suite of apartments as thoroughly as possible under the circumstances, and before another morning dawned every movable article of furniture was piled against the doors in the hope that the final moment might be delayed a short time.
Then, retreating to the kitchen, he awaited the inevitable.
From this retired spot he could hear the chattering and howling of his subjects as they assembled once more to make inquiries concerning his health, and he knew beyond a peradventure that not many hours would elapse before they began to force their way into the building.
CHAPTER XXIX.
EXCESSIVE AFFECTION.
Philip’s dismal forebodings were destined to be realized within a very short time. If his subjects had been impatient on the day previous because they only saw him on the balcony, they were furious now when the windows and doors remained closed and their king came not forth to greet them.