'Hullo!'
Did princes say 'Hullo!'
The Princess had little time to wonder, for he was there before her. She could feel his presence in every fibre of her trembling little being, though she would not open her eyes for very fear that it might be somebody else. No, no, it was the Prince! It was his voice, clear and ringing, as she had known it would be. She put up her hands suddenly and covered her eyes with them to make surer. It was not fear now, but a device to put off a little longer the delight of seeing him.
'I say, hullo! Haven’t you got any tongue?'
'Oh, verily, verily,—I mean hear, O Prince, I beseech,' she panted.
The boy’s merry eyes regarded the shabby small person in puzzled astonishment. He felt an impulse to laugh and run away, but his royal blood forbade either. So he waited.
'You are the Prince,' the little Princess cried. 'I’ve been waiting the longest time,—but I knew you’d come,' she added simply. 'Have you got your velvet an’ gold buckles on? I’m goin’ to look in a minute, but I’m waiting to make it spend.'
The Prince whistled softly. 'No,' he said then, 'I didn’t wear them clo’es to-day. You see, my mother—'
'The Queen,' she interrupted; 'you mean the Queen?'
'You bet I do! She’s a reg’lar-builter! Well, she don’t like to have me wearin' out my best clo’es every day,' he said gravely.