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The guards saluted her with peculiar respect. Captain Hedzoff, in the anteroom, said, 'My dear madam, you look like an angel today. And so, bowing and smirking, Gruffanuff went in and took her place behind her Royal Master and Mistress, who were in the throne-room, awaiting the Prince of Crim Tartary.
All his talk and his eyes were for Countess Gruffanuff, who you may be sure was pleased with Giglio's attentions the vain old creature! When he was not complimenting her, he was making fun of Prince Bulbo, so loud that Gruffanuff was always tapping him with her fan, and saying, "Oh, you satirical Prince! Oh, fie, the Prince will hear!" "Well, I don't mind," says Giglio, louder still.
"Lead him to fiddlestick, Hedzoff," said a female voice. It was Gruffanuff, who had come out in her dressing-gown when she heard the noise. "The King said you were to hang the Prince. Well, hang the Prince." "I don't understand you," says Hedzoff, who was not a very clever man. "You Gaby! he didn't say WHICH Prince," says Gruffanuff. "No; he didn't say which, certainly," said Hedzoff.
And she capered away on her one shoe, and everybody was exceedingly diverted. So Angelica said to the Queen, "Mamma, my parrot flew away yesterday out of its cage, and I don't care any more for any of my toys; and I think this funny little dirty child will amuse me. I will take her home, and give her some of my old frocks " "Oh, the generous darling!" says Mrs. Gruffanuff.
"Mind she does not go with MY shoes on, which I lent her so kindly," says the Princess; and indeed the Princess's shoes were a great deal too big for Betsinda. "Come with me, you filthy hussy!" and taking up the Queen's poker, the cruel Gruffanuff drove Betsinda into her room.
They had not reached the duck-pond, when there came toddling up to them such a funny little girl! She had a great quantity of hair blowing about her chubby little cheeks, and looked as if she had not been washed or combed for ever so long. She wore a ragged bit of a cloak, and had only one shoe on. "You little wretch, who let you in here?" asked Mrs. Gruffanuff.
"Oh, dear Giglio," cries Gruffanuff, skipping up, "I knew, I knew I could trust thee I knew that my Prince was the soul of honor. Jump into your carriages, ladies and gentlemen, and let us go to church at once; and as for dying, dear Giglio, no, no: thou wilt forget that insignificant little chambermaid of a Queen thou wilt live to be consoled by thy Barbara!
For the Fairy Blackstick coming to call upon the Prince and Princess, who were actually sitting at the open drawing-room window, Gruffanuff not only denied them, but made the most ODIOUS VULGAR SIGN as he was going to slam the door in the Fairy's face! "Git away, hold Blackstick!" said he. "I tell you, Master and Missis ain't at home to you;" and he was, as we have said, GOING to slam the door.
"Eleven o'clock!" cries Giglio, as the great Cathedral bell of Blombodinga tolled that hour. "Gentlemen and ladies, we must be starting. Archbishop, you must be at church, I think, before twelve?" "We must be at church before twelve," sighs out Gruffanuff in a languishing voice, hiding her old face behind her fan.
When she came to D, and it wasn't D, she grew very excited; when she came to C, and it wasn't C, she was still more nervous; when she came to B, AND IT WASN'T B, 'O dearest Gruffanuff, she said, 'lend me your smelling-bottle! and, hiding her head in the Countess's shoulder, she faintly whispered, 'Ah, Signor, can it be A?
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