“Nevertheless,” said Florimel kindly, “I trust we shall find some means for your enjoyment. Have you come far?”
“Yes,” said the leader, “many leagues to do you honor. We crave your acceptance of these few, simple, unpretentious gifts as a trifling evidence of the distinguished consideration and esteem in which we hold your fair bride and yourself.”
It was plain that he had first carefully prepared and then committed to memory such a flowery speech.
In their curiosity to examine the presents the Brownies began to circulate among the strangers.
When in doing so the Chinaman thoughtlessly put his head between the open scissors-blades the big, hulking fellow who held them could not repress an evil inclination, and snapped them together almost instantly so that the head was held between them in a vise-like grip.
Taking note of this another who had the snuffers clapped the hood forthwith over an ordinary Brownie so it looked as though he did not have a head.
The leader angrily stamped his foot for them to desist from such rude, ill-mannered antics, whereupon the one reluctantly released the frightened Chinaman, while the other removed the snuffers from Brownie’s head.
“You must be weary and travel-stained from your long journey,” said Florimel, not knowing what to think.