BY ORDER OF THE CZAR. 263
vessel of the King with its magnificent golden eagles at the prow and a typical figure of regenerated Italy. You take your glass and you find that around the King's barge are other State vessels, the Bucentor, for instance, with its tradition of the bridal of the Adriatic ; and all at once the whole throng of aquatic vehicles begin to dance and make their way to the Royal Palace, amidst the discharge of distant artillery and the clash and bray of trumpets. The palaces of the Grand Canal rise up as if from the bosom of the waters. They are brave with color, and alive with excited people. The sun shines. The sky is a pale ultra- marine ; the whole thing a fairy tale ; and so real that it makes more than one of the Milbanke party feel emo- tional.
Philip is lost for the time being in this feast of form and color. Dolly sits perfectly still by his side. Jenny is up and down twenty times to catch glimpses of the Queen. Walter hands his glass to every one by turns because it is a very powerful one, and he continually thinks he has spotted the best incidents of the show. Long before the cheers from the Rialto have been broken up with other demon- strative sounds they find themselves really part of the royal procession indeed, almost alongside the royal barge, and partaking of a share of the gracious recognitions of both King and Queen, who smile their acknowledgments of every loyal cheer, and bow to many a passing and accom- panying boat. Jenny noticed that the King gazed appro- vingly upon their gondola, because it carried the flag which Italy most honors among the nations.
At the height of the enjoyment which Mrs. Milbanke felt in being so near the royal barge, the spirits of the party were somewhat dashed (though none of them ex- cept Philip could quite explain why they felt the shadow of the incident fall upon them more than upon any other boat) by the sudden appearance of the red gondola. It
