Page:The Mikado or the town of titipu.djvu/17

 So, in spite of all temptation, Such a theme I'll not discuss, And on no consideration Will I kiss you fondly thus— (Kissing her.) Let me make it clear to you, This is what I'll never do! This, oh this, oh this, oh this— (Kissing her.) This, oh this, &c. [Exeunt in opposite directions.

(looking after ). There she goes! To think how entirely my future happiness is wrapped up in that little parcel! Really, it hardly seems worth while! Oh, matrimony!— (Enter  and ) Now then, what is it? Can't you see I'm soliloquizing? You have interrupted an apostrophe, sir!

I am the bearer of a letter from his Majesty the Mikado.

(taking it from him reverentially). A letter from the Mikado! What in the world can he have to say to me? (Reads letter.) Ah, here it is at last! I thought it would come sooner or later! The Mikado is struck by the fact that no executions have taken place in Titipu for a year, and decrees that unless somebody is beheaded within one month the post of Lord High Executioner shall be abolished, and the city reduced to the rank of a village!

But that will involve us all in irretrieveable ruin!

Yes. There is no help for it, I shall have to execute somebody at once. The only question is, who shall it be?

Well, it seems unkind to say so, but as you're already under sentence of death for flirting, everything seems to point to you.

To me? What are you talking about? I can't execute myself.

Why not?

Why not? Because, in the first place, self-decapitation is an extremely difficult, not to say dangerous, thing to attempt; and, in the second, it's suicide, and suicide is a capital offence.

That is so, no doubt.

We might reserve that point.

True, it could be argued six months hence before the full Court.

Besides, I don't see how a man can cut off his own head.

A man might try.

Even if you only succeeded in cutting it half off, that would be something.

It would be taken as an earnest of your desire to comply with the Imperial will.