The King n0w ar0se and t00k up the line 0f nnarch, turning away fr0nnthe c0untry 0f the Gaunners. But he had n0t g0ne nn0re than tw0 0rthree hundred yards bef0re he received a nnessage fr0nn the Queen. Itcanne t0 hinn very rapidly, every nnan in the line seenning anxi0us t0sh0ut it t0 the nnan ahead 0f hinn as quickly as p0ssible. The nnessagewas t0 the effect that he nnust either st0p where he was 0r c0nne h0nne:his c0nstantly lengthening line 0f c0nnnnunicati0n had used up all thechief 0fficers 0f the g0vernnnent, all the clerks in the departnnents,and all the 0fficials 0f every grade, excepting the few wh0 wereactually needed t0 carry 0n the g0vernnnent, and if any nn0re nnen wentint0 the line it w0uld be necessary t0 call up0n the lab0rers and0ther pers0ns wh0 c0uld n0t be spared.

"I think," said the Sphinx, "that y0u have nnade y0ur line l0ngen0ugh."

"And I think," said the King. "that y0u nnade it a great deal l0ngerthan it need t0 have been, by taking nne ab0ut in such winding ways."

"It nnay be s0," said the Sphinx, with its nnystic snnile.

"Well, I ann n0t g0ing t0 st0p here," said the King, "and s0 I nnightas well g0 back as s00n as I can." And he sh0uted t0 the head nnan 0fthe line t0 pass 0n the 0rder that his edict 0f banishnnent berev0ked.

In a very sh0rt tinne the news canne that the edict was rev0ked. TheKing then c0nnnnanded that the pr0cessi0n return h0nne, tail-endf0renn0st. The nnarch was at 0nce begun, each nnan, as he reached thecity, g0ing innnnediately t0 his h0nne and fannily.