countenance. "Hast thou not signed a decree that every man that asketh a
petition of any god or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall
be cast into the den of lions?"

"The thing is true," answered the king, "according to the laws of the
Medes and Persians, which altereth not."

"Then it is made our painful duty to inform thee that Daniel, which is of
the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor
the decree that thou has signed; but maketh his petition three times a
day."

"Daniel!" replied the king. "I know of no Daniel but my worthy first
president, whom ye say assisted in making this law."

"This same Daniel, O king, thy first president, is the guilty one!"
answered Fraggood. "After having exerted his influence with thy servants
to make the law, he is now the first of all to transgress. In this he
hath but sought an opportunity to show thee, O king, how utterly he
disregardeth all thy wise commandments."

"What!" said the king, suddenly rising to his feet. "Daniel, the first
president in the kingdom? Daniel, noted for his wisdom and prudence?
Impossible! Ye have been wrongly informed! Beware how ye thus accuse the
best man in Babylon!"

"Thy servants wonder not at thy astonishment, O king! If we had not been
eye-witnesses to the thing, we could have in no wise believed it; but the
eyes and ears of thy servants are witnesses against him. He offers his
petitions, and tramples upon the authority of our king."