“If its not troubling you” said Selia, who was a bit shattered in looks after the horse.
“Certainly not” said the admiral kindly “we have a special place for that sort of thing. When visiters come in on the hop as you have they generally want a brush and washup by the time they arrive.”
“Yes traveling does make one so fussely, does not it” cried Selia in a boomy tone which caused the admiral to open wide his admiring eyes as he had no doubt thought she would be quite common and was glad to find it was not so after all.
“Quite, quite” agreed he, adding “and I have sent to tell the guards at the gate to be sure and give your horses some water and straw for their tea so do not worry about them.”
[67] “Oh they are not ours thanks all the same” said Mr. Withersq. “Still you might as well have a drink sent out to them if you dont mind, thanks.”
The admiral now led them to the place for the toilett and passed them on to the persons there. It was a very vast hall complete with shaving chairs with shavers in silk jackets who soon took Mr. Withersq and wrapped him up in cloths and gave him a good scrape and Selia in turn went to a marbel tabel where one damsel tidyed her hair kindly and another gave her pouder and all those kinds of things and another polished her nails nicely with pinka and wiped her boots over with a velvet and when both were neat they returned to the admiral who was waiting because that is what he was for. So he looked them over and saw there was no hares on Mr. Withersquashes coat and everything as it should be.
On he led them down passage after passage [68] ]and through room after room, and he let them have a peep in to where the best of the m.p.’s were thinking out some new laws which interested them both very much. And in the next room they had a squint at a lot of generals very fierce of mustashe who were practising with swords and guns and keeping their peckers up until the next war in that way because if they dont they get livers and have to retire.
And next to them in another room were the sea lords, some of whom waved very friendly to the conductor of our little party, but they were not very busy at work as their time for swimming practise was over for that day, and they were having the half day off, so ideled the time with marveleous jig-saws and draufts and chesses and what not, very cosy in their nice room.
At last they came to a very grand high passage all lined with flags of conquered [69] ]countries and a stuffed lion in a glass case on the left just before a door, which was the door of the room where the King and Queen were, at which both Selia and Harold began to tremble not a little, for of all things they wanted to make a good impression.
“Have a heart” cried the admiral kindly, “they will not eat you, and there is no fuss on purpose not to make you feel small as the King well nose that it is a bit queer for a poet like you coming to see him in his Palace for the first time.”