As I was the first to get rid of my twenty-one
months' friends, I was ready when Prideaux came in; but no sooner
had he begun taking off his prison garb to dress himself, than
messenger after messenger rushed in, sent from Theodore to hurry
us on. Well knowing the fickle disposition of their master, all the
chiefs present, Samuel, the guards, every one kept continually
shouting out to Prideaux, "Make haste, make haste!" Flurried, and
unaccustomed since so many months to the civilized way of putting
on his clothes, and unable to guide his feet properly, in his hurry
he tore his uniform trousers almost in two. But no one _would hear
of waiting any longer: off we must go. Luckily a few pins were at
hand, and what with his cap as a screen, the accident, if not
repaired, was hidden. On reaching the Imperial tent, his Majesty,
after greeting us cordially, said, "I chained you because your
people believed that I was not a strong king; now that your masters
are coming I release you to show them that I am not afraid. Fear
not; Christ is my witness, and God knows, that I have nothing in
my heart against you three. You came to this country knowing what
the Consul had done. Do not fear, nothing will happen to you. Sit
down."
Once seated he ordered some tej to be given to us, and conversed
with Mr. Rassam; amongst other things he said, "I am like a woman
in the family way, and know not if it will be an abortion, a girl
or a boy; I hope it will be a boy.
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