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withdrawn.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
had hitherto succeeded in stifling, were indeed awkward. He could not
conceive his mistress with a page and a poodle. He feared much that the
cargo was not well assorted. Popanilla determined to inquire after his
canoe.
His courage, however, was greatly reassured when, on reading the second
edition, he learned that the new island was not of considerable size,
though most eligibly situate; and, moreover, that it was perfectly void
of inhabitants. When the third edition was published he found, to his
surprise, that the Private Secretary was the discoverer of this
opposition island. This puzzled the Plenipotentiary greatly. He read
on; he found that this acquisition, upon which all Vraibleusia was
congratulated in such glowing terms by all its journals, actually
produced nothing.
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