Page:The Complete Works of William Makepeace Thackeray Vol.20.pdf/212

184 I think I know who did the pictures—this artful painter, who had come with other designs on Angelica than merely to teach her to draw.

One day Lorenzo showed the Princess a portrait of a young man in armor, with fair hair and the loveliest blue eyes, and an expression at once melancholy and interesting.

“Dear Signor Lorenzo, who is this?” asked the Princess. “I never saw any one so handsome,” says Countess Gruffanuff (the old humbug).

“That” said the Painter, “that, madam, is the portrait of my august young master, his Royal Highness Bulbo, Crown Prince of Crim Tartary, Duke of Acroceraunia, Marquis of Poluphloisboio, and Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Pumpkin. That is the Order of the Pumpkin glittering on his manly breast, and received by his Royal Highness from his august father, his Majesty King I., for his gallantry at the battle of Rimbombamento, when he slew with his own princely hand the King of Ograria and two hundred and eleven giants of the two hundred and eighteen who formed the King’s body-guard. The remainder were destroyed by the brave Crim Tartar army after an obstinate combat, in which the Crim Tartars suffered severely.”

“What a Prince!” thought Angelica: “so brave—so calm-looking—so young—what a hero!”

“He is as accomplished as he is brave,” continued the Court Painter. “He knows all languages perfectly: sings deliciously: plays every instrument: composes operas which_have been acted a thousand nights running at the Imperial Theatre of Crim Tartary, and danced in a ballet