Ranulf was just going to say, saucily, “A great deal better than girls, I should think,” when Norval, who was older, and knew better how to behave, checked him, and said—
BY ORDER.
“But, Alice, dear, surely if it’s done by going to sleep, boys can do that as well as girls.”
“Well, so they can,” said she; “but then, you see, everybody who goes to sleep doesn’t get to Wonderland.”
“Oh, but perhaps,” said Jaques, “if you will go to sleep too, you will come with us, and show us the way.”
“Ah! I can’t do that to-day,” said Alice, looking very grave; “for, you see, when I came to you I was just going to give Dollys their dinner—such a nice dinner! cake and currants; and it would be cruel to leave them looking at it till I came back.”
Now Norval suddenly remembered that he knew some boys whose uncle was a Director at the Aquarium, and who, when he could not go with them and pass them in himself, gave them a written order; so, turning to Alice, he said—
“Oh, but if you would give us a pass, it might help us.” And sitting down at the writing-table, he wrote in stiff letters, imitating the papers he had seen, and laying the pass before her, said, “Now, write ‘Alice’ there ever so big, and put a grand whirly stroke under it.”
Alice obeyed, and the pass was ready.