‘How very gallant of you,’ the Princess said ironically. ‘And now, as you’ve got rid of me so easily, perhaps you will be so kind as to leave us for a time. Good-day.’
‘Good-day,’ duetted the Dukes.
And they huddled out as well as they could, each trying to get behind the other.
‘I think that’s got rid of all the suitors for to-day,’ the King said when the door closed behind them. ‘I’ll just go and have the notice hung on the door, and I’ll be back in a minute.’
And he went, too.
Now really, he thought he had let the Dukes off too easily, and he intended to catch them up and fine them, but they had made off so uncommonly fast that they had disappeared before he got to the street door.
Meanwhile the Princess waited quietly for him; but hearing a noise of wheels outside the window, she went to see what was the cause of it.
‘Why, it’s him!’ she said delightedly, and with utter disregard of English grammar.
Opening the window she called out, ‘Treblo! Treblo!’ and, running down the steps towards him, threw herself into his arms.