‘It’s funny; he usedn’t to be fond of getting up so early. Just go to the door and see if he is coming across the fields.’
Ernalie obediently went to the door, and shading her eyes from the glare of the sun, looked over the fields towards the road.
She came back quickly.
‘I can’t see him,’ she said; ‘but there’s a whole lot of people coming across the field.’
The King looked vexedly astonished.
‘What on earth do they want?’ he said. ‘It must be some fresh trick of Mumkie for bothering me.’
However, by this time the people had reached the garden gate, and they could hear a man’s step on the gravel-walk. It stopped at the door, and a knock was heard.
‘Come in,’ cried the King; and the man entered, bowing profoundly.
When the King saw who it was he looked surprised, and said: