‘Does she expect me?’ said the spider hoarsely. ‘I’m not feeling very well.’
David remembered that he had to run back to the tuffet, but it seemed impolite not to ask the spider what was the matter with it. It had a smooth kind face, and was rather bald.
‘My web caught cold,’ said the spider. ‘But I’ll come if she expects me.’
David ran back to the tuffet.
‘He’s not very well,’ he said, ‘but he’ll come if you expect him.’
‘The kind good thing!’ said Miss Muffet. ‘Now I must begin to get frightened. Will you help me? Say “Bo!” and make faces with me in the looking-glass, and tell me a ghost story. Bring me the looking-glass, silly,’ she shouted to the butler.
He took one down from over the chimney-piece, and held it in front of them, while David and Miss Muffet made the most awful faces into it.
‘That’s a beauty,’ said Miss Muffet, as David squinted, screwed up his nose, and put his tongue out. ‘Thank you for that one, my dear. It gave me quite a start. You are really remarkably ugly. Will you feel my pulse, and see how I am getting on. Make another face: I’m used to that one. Oh, I got a beauty then: it terrified me. And begin your ghost story quickly.’
David had no idea where anybody’s pulse was, so he began his ghost story.
‘Once upon a time,’ he said, ‘there was a ghost that lived in the hot-water tap.’