"She weighs absolutely nothing at all," replied the other nurse who was carrying the Princess, "absolutely nothing at all."
"Well, that is apt to be the case with such high-born infants," said the first nurse. And they all waved their fans again in time to the music.
When they reached the palace, the massive doors were thrown open, and the court passed in. The nurses bore the Princess Rosetta's basket up the grand marble stair, and carried it into the nursery.
"We will lift her Royal Highness out very carefully, and possibly we can put her to bed without waking her," said the Head-nurse.
But her Royal Highness's ladies-of-the-bed-chamber who were in waiting set up such screams of horror at her remark, that it was a wonder that the Princess did not awake directly.
"O-h!" cried a lady-of-the-bed-chamber, "put her Royal Highness to bed, in defiance of all etiquette, before the Prima Donna of the court has sung her lullaby! Preposterous! Lift her out without waking her, indeed! This nurse should be dismissed from the court!"
"O-h!" cried another lady, tossing her lovely head scornfully, and giving her silken train an indignant swish; "the idea of putting her Royal Highness to bed without the silver cup of posset, which I have here for her!"
"And without taking her rose-water bath!" cried another, who was dabbling her lily fingers in a little ivory bath filled with rose-water.
"And without being anointed with this Cream of Lilies!" cried one with a little ivory jar in her hand.
"And without having every single one of her golden ringlets dressed with this pomade scented with violets and almonds!" cried one with a round porcelain box.