A radiant vision stepped into the circle of light.
[p241]
‘All right, I know. His heart at her something or other feet.’
‘Pretty feet,’ said Alison. ‘I go to tell the Princess.’
Next moment from the shadows on the bank a radiant vision stepped into the circle of light, crying—
‘Oh! Rudel, is it indeed thou? Thou art come at last. O welcome to the arms of the Princess!’
‘What do I do now?’ whispered Rudel (who was Kenneth) in the boat, and at the same moment Conrad and George said, as with one voice—
‘My hat! Alison, won’t you catch it!’
For at the end of the Princess’s speech she had thrown back her veils and revealed a blaze of splendour. She wore several necklaces, one of seed pearls, one of topazes, and one of Australian shells, besides a string of amber and one of coral. And the front of the red flannel blouse was studded with brooches, in one at least of which diamonds gleamed. Each arm had one or two bracelets and on her clenched hands glittered as many rings as any Princess could wish to wear.
So her brothers had some excuse for saying, ‘You’ll catch it.’
‘No, I sha’n’t. It’s my look out, anyhow. [p242 Do shut up,’ said the Princess, stamping her foot. ‘Now then, Ken, go ahead. Ken, you say, “Oh Lady, I faint with rapture!”’