they had heard, looked at each other without speaking a word; when another servant drawing near to his master, in like manner said:
“Sire, your Majesty’s post-chaise is at Padua, and the bark is ready.”
His master made him a sign, and he instantly withdrew. The company all stared at each other again, and the general astonishment was increased. A third servant then approached another of the strangers, and said:
“Sire, if your Majesty will be advised by me, you will not stay any longer in this place; I will go and get everything ready”—and he instantly disappeared.
Candide and Martin then took it for granted that this was some of the diversions of the carnival, and that these were characters in masquerade. Then a fourth domestic said to the fourth stranger:
“Your Majesty may set out when you please.” Saying this, he went away like the rest.
A fifth valet said the same to a fifth master. But the sixth domestic spoke in a different style to the person on whom he waited, and who sat next to Candide.
“Troth, Sir,” said he, “they will trust your Majesty no longer, nor myself neither; and we may both of us chance to be sent to gaol this very night; and therefore I shall take care of myself, and so adieu.”
The servants being all gone, the six strangers, with Candide and Martin, remained in a profound silence. At length Candide broke it by saying:
“Gentlemen, this is a very singular joke, upon my word; why, how came you all to be kings? For my part, I own frankly, that neither my friend Martin here nor myself have any claim to royalty.”
Cacambo’s master then began, with great gravity, to deliver himself thus in Italian:
“I am not joking in the least, my name is Achmet III. I was Grand Sultan for many years; I dethroned my brother, my nephew dethroned me, my viziers lost their heads, and I am condemned to end my days in the old seraglio. My nephew, the Grand Sultan Mahmud, gives me permission to travel sometimes for my health, and I am come to spend the carnival at Venice.”
A young man who sat by Achmet spoke next, and said:
“My name is Ivan. I was once Emperor of all the Russias, but was dethroned in my cradle. My parents were confined, and I was brought up in a prison; yet I am sometimes allowed to travel, though always with persons to keep a guard over me, and I am come to spend the carnival at Venice.”
