"Yes," said Dennis, "he bows, of course. You'll have a train carried by two boys, Gollop; but the boys aren't here to-night, as they're both down with measles—Mrs. Bassett's youngsters."
"I'll bow to you if you bow to me, Tom," said Mr. Baskerville. "That's only right."
"Kings don't bow to common people," declared the parish clerk. "Me and my pretended darter—that's Miss Cora Lintern, who's the Princess—ban't going to bow, I should hope."
"You ought to, then," declared Jack Head. "No reason because you'm King of Egypt why you should think yourself better than other folk. Make him bow, Nathan. Don't you bow to him if he don't bow to you."
"Kings do bow," declared Dennis. "You must bow to Father Christmas, Gollop."
"He must bow first, then," argued the parish clerk.
"Damn the man! turn him out and let somebody else do it!" cried Head.
"Let neither of 'em bow," suggested Mrs. Hacker suddenly. "With all this here bowing and scraping, us shan't be done afore midnight; and I don't come in the play till the end of all things as 'tis."
"You'd better decide, your reverence," suggested Vivian. "Your word's law. I say let 'em bow simultaneous—how would that serve?"
"Excellent!" declared Dennis. "You'll bow together, please. Now, Mr. Gollop."