But Tiny only answered quite dull and dead,
"What?"
So Baby cried,
"The Commander-in-Chief's been to call!—And hee came disguised as a parson—only he forgot about his cocked hat, which he was wearing. So of course I found him out, and roared. And when he saw he was discovered, he looked rather silly at first. Then he cheered up, and said it was all a joke done to amuse me. And really he was so sweet and smiling—you can't think. He bowed up and down in the door, and said he'd come to ask if I was happy in my little home, for that was all he cared about; and there were quite tears in his eyes. And when I said I should just think I was, he seemed delighted—honestly. Wasn't that nice of him?"
DISGUISED AS A PARSON
And she hopped on the path, her hand upon Tiny's arm, and her hair all splendid and babbled on,
"So of course I asked him in, and showed him over, and all my improvements and that. And he rubbed his hands and chuckled, and said how cosy and comfie, and hoped I should live to enjoy it as long as I liked. And after that he asked how mannikin was getting on, and if he might see him, and said that was really why he came, and the reason of his disguise. So I took him myself. And he gave him quite a nice little talking to on being good and not spiteful and that; and said if he didn't try to escape perhaps the King would let him out some day. But mannikin behaved shockingly and cuddled away in the corner, nibbling his nut, and giggled till I was really quite ashamed."
And when Baby remembered that, and the Commander-in-Chief standing in the door of the boot-hole in his parson's clothes and cocked hat talking pi, she laughed like anything.