SUPERINTENDENT.—­Now attend, Suchaka; keep you guard here at the gate; and hark ye, sirrahs, take good care your prisoner does not escape, while I go in and lay the whole story of the discovery of this ring before the King in person.  I will soon return and let you know his commands.

CONSTABLE.—­Go in, master, by all means; and may you find favor in the
King’s sight!
          [Exit Superintendent.

FIRST CONSTABLE [after an interval].—­I say, Januka, the
Superintendent is a long time away.

SECOND CONSTABLE.—­Aye, aye; kings are not to be got at so easily.  Folks must bide the proper opportunity.

FIRST CONSTABLE.—­Januka, my fingers itch to strike the first blow at
this royal victim here.  We must kill him with all the honors, you know. 
I long to begin binding the flowers round his head.
          [Pretends to strike a blow at the fisherman.

FISHERMAN.—­Your honor surely will not put an innocent man to a cruel death.

SECOND CONSTABLE [looking].—­There’s our Superintendent at last, I declare.  See, he is coming towards us with a paper in his hand.  We shall soon know the King’s command; so prepare, my fine fellow, either to become food for the vultures, or to make acquaintance with some hungry cur.

SUPERINTENDENT [entering].—­Ho, there, Suchaka! set the fisherman at liberty, I tell you.  His story about the ring is all correct.

SUCHAKA.—­Oh! very good, sir; as you please.

SECOND CONSTABLE.—­The fellow had one foot in hell, and now here he is in the land of the living. [Releases him.

FISHERMAN [bowing to the Superintendent].—­Now, master, what think you of my way of getting a livelihood?

SUPERINTENDENT.—­Here, my good man, the King desired me to present you with this purse.  It contains a sum of money equal to the full value of the ring.
          [Gives him the money.

FISHERMAN [taking it and bowing].—­His Majesty does me too great honor.

SUCHAKA.—­You may well say so.  He might as well have taken you from the gallows to seat you on his state elephant.

JANUKA.—­Master, the King must value the ring very highly, or he would never have sent such a sum of money to this ragamuffin.

SUPERINTENDENT.—­I don’t think he prizes it as a costly jewel so much as a memorial of some person he tenderly loves.  The moment it was shown to him he became much agitated, though in general he conceals his feelings.

SUCHAKA.--Then you must have done a great service------

JANUKA.—­Yes, to this husband of a fish-wife.
          [Looks enviously at the fisherman.

FISHERMAN.—­Here’s half the money for you, my masters.  It will serve to purchase the flowers you spoke of, if not to buy me your good-will.

JANUKA.—­Well, now, that’s just as it should be.