“’Taint, it’s hominage! bow, anyway!”
So they all bowed in token of homage to their queen.
“Now we have to back away,” said Maddy; “they always do at court.”
The six backed away from the queen’s throne, but as backing with long trailing robes is not to be neatly done without practice, they one and all tripped over their trains and togas and went tumbling around on the ground.
“Get up, all of you!” cried Dick, who had scrambled to his feet. “Now we must sing.”
“What shall we sing?”
“I don’t care—‘John Brown’s Body,’ I guess.”
So they all sang “John Brown’s Body” with great gusto, and then the coronation ceremonies were declared over.
And none too soon, for just then they saw Michael coming with a huge trayful of good things, which he placed on the table in the arbour.
“Fer the land’s sake!” he exclaimed as the children crowded round. “Whativer have yez been up to now! The clean clo’es from the line, as I’m a sinner! Arrah, but ye’ll catch it, ye bad babies!”