"When do you suppose," asked Jip, "the Doctor intends to move on from here?"
"I was talking to him about that only yesterday," said Polynesia.
"But I couldn't get any satisfactory answer out of him. He didn't seem to want to speak about it."
There was a pause in the conversation.
"Do you know what I believe?" she added presently. "I believe the Doctor has given up even thinking of going home."
"Good Lord!" cried Bumpo. "You don't say!"
"Sh!" said Polynesia. "What's that noise?"
We listened; and away off in the distant corridors of the palace we heard the sentries crying, "The King!--Make way!--The King!"
"It's he--at last," whispered Polynesia--"late, as usual. Poor man, how he does work!--Chee-Chee, get the pipe and tobacco out of the cupboard and lay the dressing-gown ready on his chair."
When the Doctor came into the room he looked serious and thoughtful. Wearily he took off his crown and hung it on a peg behind the door. Then he exchanged the royal cloak for the dressing-gown, dropped into his chair at the head of the table with a deep sigh and started to fill his pipe.
"Well," asked Polynesia quietly, "how did you find the baby?"
"The baby?" he murmured--his thoughts still seemed to be very far away--"Ah yes. The baby was much better, thank you-- It has cut its second tooth."