Her Grace amiably laughed away this little mistake, and was soon busy asking questions. The Wallypug, however, got very nervous, and made a shocking lot of mistakes in his answers. He couldn’t even say how old he was.
“I know I’ve been in the family for years,” he remarked, “and I fancy I must have come over with William the Conqueror. Such a lot of people did that, you know, and it’s so respectable. I don’t remember it, of course; but then I’ve been told that I was born very young, and so naturally I shouldn’t do so.”
“Does your Majesty remember any of the incidents of your early life?” asked the Duchess.
“I was considered remarkably bald for my age as an infant,” replied the Wallypug simply. “And I believe I had several measles, and a mump or two as a child. But I don’t wish to boast about them,” he added modestly.
“Where were you educated, your Majesty?” was the next question.
“I wasn’t,” replied the Wallypug with a sigh.
“Does your Majesty mean that you received no education at all?” asked the Duchess in surprise.
“Oh! I was taught reading, and writing, and arithmetic, and the use of the globes, and Latin and Greek, and all that rubbish, of course,” replied the Wallypug. “But I mean there were no Universities at Why, where I could receive a higher education, and be taught cricket, and football, and rowing, and all those classical things taught at Oxford and Cambridge, you know. I was considered the best boy in my form at marbles though,” he added proudly. “And I could beat any of the masters at Hop Scotch.”
“What is your favourite diet, your Majesty?” came next.
“Oh! jumbles, I think—or bull’s eyes. I’m very fond of hardbake too, and I love cocoa-nut ice.”