Before the old man could answer, Winfried’s voice made her start in surprise.
“She’s a princess,” he said; and he smiled all over his face when he saw Ruby’s astonishment.
“Oh!” was all she said, but her manner became more respectful to both Adam and his grandson from that moment.
Then the old man made a sign to Winfried, and the boy went out of the room, coming back in a moment with a little plain wooden tray, on which were two glasses of rich tempting-looking milk and a basket of cakes, brown and crisp, of a kind the children had never seen before. He set the tray down on a table which stood in the window, and Adam begged the children to help themselves.
They did so gladly. Never had cake and milk tasted so delicious. Ruby felt rather small when she thought of her condescending offer of soup from the Castle kitchen.
“But then,” she reflected, “of course I didn’t know—how could I?—that a princess comes to see them. I daresay she sends them these delicious cakes. I wish Bertha could make some like them.”
“I never saw cakes like these before,” said little Mavis. “They are so good.”
Old Adam seemed pleased.
“My boy isn’t a bad cook,” he said proudly, with a glance at Winfried.
“Did you make them?” said Ruby, staring at Winfried. “I thought perhaps as a princess comes to see you that she sent you them—they are so very good.”