"By THE QUEEN, A PROCLAMATION, E.R.
"Whereas by our Proclamation given this 1st day of May——
But the Queen never read any further than that, because she could never quite understand what it all meant. At the last signature the happened to make a little blot, and somehow or other the ink happened to get into one of her nails, and that annoyed her. It is so difficult to get ink out of one's nails.
"I don't care if I never sign another Proclamation," she said; "and I hope I never shall. Now, look here," she continued to the Regent, who at that moment entered. "If you were a governess I should be able to make you get this ink out; but how can I ask a man to do that?"
"I will make the attempt, if your Majesty pleases," the Regent said.
"Well, but you haven't got any nail-scissors," the Queen replied.
"I might use my sword," the Regent suggested.
But the Queen shivered. "Ugh! fancy having a great ugly thing like that for it!" she said. "Oh, well, you've brought the things! Here are your papers. They're all signed; and, if you want anything else, you'll have to come into the garden."
And she took up the meat and the flannel and the opodeldoc and went into the garden, leaving the Regent with the idea that he had made rather a bad business by becoming the Queen's attendant. But he was a very determined man, and merely set his teeth the firmer.
Under the overhanging rose tree the Queen sat awaiting the bat's awakening.