anything in the distance. Popanilla, who, like all savages, was
long-sighted, applying to his eye the glass which, in conformity to the
custom of the country, he always wore round his neck, confessed that he
saw nothing. The Secretary, who had never unfixed his glass nor moved a
step since he asked the question, at length, by pointing with his
finger, attracted Popanilla's attention to what his Excellency conceived
to be a porpoise bobbing up and down in the waves. The Secretary,
however, was not of the same opinion as the Ambassador. He was not very
communicative, indeed, as to his own opinion upon this grave subject,
but he talked of making farther observations when the tide went down;
and was so listless, abstracted, and absent, during the rest of their
conversation, that it soon ceased, and they speedily parted.


The next day, when Popanilla read the morning papers, a feat which he
regularly performed, for spelling the newspaper was quite delicious to
one who had so recently learned to read, he found that they spoke of
nothing but of the discovery of a new island, information of which had
been received by the Government only the preceding night. The
Fantaisian Ambassador turned quite pale, and for the first time in his
life experienced the passion of jealousy, the green-eyed monster, so
called from only being experienced by green-horns. Already the
prominent state he represented seemed to retire to the background. He
did not doubt that the Vraibleusians were the most capricious as well as
the most commercial nation in the world. His reign was evidently over.
The new island would send forth a Prince still more popular. His
allowance of pink shells would be gradually reduced, and finally
withdrawn. His doubts, also, as to the success of the recent expedition
to Fantaisie began to revive. His rising reminiscences of his native
land, which, with the joint assistance of popularity and philosophy, he