‘The Prince of India.’
‘Then I am afraid he can’t come. But if the Knight of London would do——’
‘But he won’t! I want the Prince of India at once.’
‘I fear your Majesty can’t have him at once. You wouldn’t have him once, you know.’
‘But why not?’
‘Because at the present moment he isn’t well enough to move.’
‘Oh, good gracious!—but why is that?’
‘Well, your Majesty, if you’d been thrown from your horse with great violence, and had half a foot of spear stuck into you, besides being mortified at your overthrow, perhaps you would be rather unwell.’
‘Oh, poor fellow, I didn’t know he was so bad as that. I’ll go and see him at once.’