She smiled graciously and sweetly at Peggy, who felt extraordinarily pleased.
Then she turned to Wooden. “You have always had my respect and liking,” she said, “and I had intended to have appointed you today to a post of honour about my person. I do so now, under the title of Lady-in-Waiting in Ordinary, and Extra Bed-doll of the Royal Chamber. Your duties will bring you into constant relationship with me, and I look forward with pleasure to making you my friend.”
It was most graciously said, and Wooden was so overcome with pride and pleasure that she could only stammer out her thanks, and promise to perform her duties as well as ever she could.
The Queen then called for a sword. Colonel Jim handed her his, and to his great surprise she knighted him with it, and then conferred the same honour upon Teddy, who was even more surprised, as he was the first bear in Toyland who had ever received it.
She conferred the same honour upon Teddy
When she had done this, she rose from her seat, and intimated that she wished to retire for the night, but before doing so she said a few gracious words to all who were in the hall. She said with a smile to Colonel Jim that she hoped soon to know him under the title of Sir Jim Lady-Grace, which was a happy way of saying that she would forward a marriage between him and her favourite lady-in-waiting. And she told Teddy, who was so overcome with the honour that had been conferred on him that his customary flightiness had departed for the moment, that she thought he ought to get married too, and she should always be pleased to welcome to her Court Sir Teddy and Lady Bear-Wooden’s-Aunt.
It may readily be guessed into what a flutter this suggestion put Wooden’s aunt. While the Queen was talking to her, and hearing about her having been tied up to the tree by Selim and Rose, she was quiet and respectful. But directly the Queen’s back was turned, and Teddy came up to her with a grin to see whether she liked the idea of marrying him, she cut a caper, and Teddy cut another, so that Wooden’s mother had to remind them both that they would belong for the future to the Upper Ten Thousand, and must learn to behave themselves.