Принц и нищий
Tom receives instructions
Hestopped,blushed,thencontinuedlowandsadly:"Ah,mymaladypersecutethmeagain,andmymindwandereth.ImeanttheKing’sgracenoirreverence."
"Weknowit,sir,"saidthePrincessElizabeth,takingher‘brother’s’handbetweenhertwopalms,respectfullybutcaressingly;"troublenotthyselfastothat.Thefaultisnoneofthine,butthydistemper’s."
"Thou’rtagentlecomforter,sweetlady,"saidTom,gratefully,"andmyheartmovethmetothanktheefor’t,an’Imaybesobold."
OncethegiddylittleLadyJanefiredasimpleGreekphraseatTom.ThePrincessElizabeth’squickeyesawbythesereneblanknessofthetarget’sfrontthattheshaftwasovershot;soshetranquillydeliveredareturnvolleyofsoundingGreekonTom’sbehalf,andthenstraightwaychangedthetalktoothermatters.
Timeworeonpleasantly,andlikewisesmoothly,onthewhole.Snagsandsandbarsgrewlessandlessfrequent,andTomgrewmoreandmoreathisease,seeingthatallweresolovinglybentuponhelpinghimandoverlookinghismistakes.WhenitcameoutthatthelittleladiesweretoaccompanyhimtotheLordMayor’sbanquetintheevening,hisheartgaveaboundofreliefanddelight,forhefeltthatheshouldnotbefriendless,now,amongthatmultitudeofstrangers;whereas,anhourearlier,theideaoftheirgoingwithhimwouldhavebeenaninsupportableterrortohim.
Tom’sguardianangels,thetwolords,hadhadlesscomfortintheinterviewthantheotherpartiestoit.Theyfeltmuchasiftheywerepilotingagreatshipthroughadangerouschannel;theywereonthealertconstantly,andfoundtheirofficenochild’splay.
