Enter King, Princess Nekaya and Kalyba, and Lady Sophy. As the King enters, the escort present arms.

King: Zara! my beloved daughter! Why, how well you look and how lovely you have grown! (Embraces her.)

Zara: My dear father! (embracing him) And my two beautiful little sisters! (embracing them)

Nekaya: Not beautiful.

Kalyba: Nice-looking.

Zara: But first let me present to you the English warrior who commands my escort, and who has taken, O! such care of me during my voyage — Captain Fitzbattleaxe!

Troopers:

The First Life Guards. When the tempest rose, And the ship went so —

Captain Fitzbattleaxe motions them to be silent. The Troopers place themselves in the four corners of the stage, standing at ease, immovably, as if on sentry. Each is surrounded by an admiring group of young ladies, of whom they take no notice.

King: (to Capt. Fitzbattleaxe) Sir, you come from a country where every virtue flourishes. We trust that you will not criticize too severely such shortcomings as you may detect in our semi-barbarous society.

Fitzbattleaxe: (looking at Zara) Sir, I have eyes for nothing but the blameless and the beautiful.

King: We thank you — he is really very polite! (Lady Sophy, who has been greatly scandalized by the attentions paid to the Lifeguardsmen by the young ladies, marches the Princesses Nekaya and Kalyba towards an exit.) Lady Sophy, do not leave us.

Lady Sophy: Sir, your children are young, and, so far, innocent. If they are to remain so, it is necessary that they be at once removed from the contamination of their present disgraceful surroundings. (She marches them off.)

King: (whose attention has thus been called to the proceedings of the young ladies — aside) Dear, dear! They really should-n't. (aloud) Captain Fitzbattleaxe —

Fitzbattleaxe: Sir.

King: Your Troopers appear to be receiving a troublesome amount of attention from those young ladies. I know how strict you English soldiers are, and I should be extremely distressed if anything occurred to shock their puritanical British sensitiveness.

Fitzbattleaxe: Oh, I don't think there's any chance of that.

King: You think not? They won't be offended?

Fitzbattleaxe: Oh no! They are quite hardened to it. They get a good deal of that sort of thing, standing sentry at the Horse Guards.

King: It's English, is it?

Fitzbattleaxe: It's particularly English.

King: Then, of course, it's all right. Pray proceed, ladies, it's particularly English. Come, my daughter, for we have much to say to each other.

Zara: Farewell, Captain Fitzbattleaxe! I cannot thank you too emphatically for the devoted care with which you have watched over me during our long and eventful voyage.