第15章

HOW BETSINDA GOT THE WARMING PAN

Little Betsinda came in to put Gruffanuff's hair in papers; and the Countess was so pleased, that, for a wonder, she complimented Betsinda.'Betsinda!' she said, 'you dressed my hair very nicely today; I promised you a little present.Here are five sh--no, here is a pretty little ring, that I picked-- that I have had some time.' And she gave Betsinda the ring she had picked up in the court.It fitted Betsinda exactly.

'It's like the ring the Princess used to wear,' says the maid.

'No such thing,' says Gruffanuff, 'I have had it this ever so long.There, tuck me up quite comfortable; and now, as it's a very cold night (the snow was beating in at the window), you may go and warm dear Prince Giglio's bed, like a good girl, and then you may unrip my green silk, and then you can just do me up a little cap for the morning, and then you can mend that hole in my silk stocking, and then you can go to bed, Betsinda.Mind Ishall want my cup of tea at five o'clock in the morning.'

'I suppose I had best warm both the young gentlemen's beds, Ma'am,' says Betsinda.

Gruffanuff, for reply, said, 'Hau-au-ho!--Grauhawhoo!--Hong-hrho!' In fact, she was snoring sound asleep.

Her room, you know, is next to the King and Queen, and the Princess is next to them.So pretty Betsinda went away for the coals to the kitchen, and filled the royal warming-pan.

Now, she was a very kind, merry, civil, pretty girl; but there must have been something very captivating about her this evening, for all the women in the servants' hall began to scold and abuse her.The housekeeper said she was a pert, stuck-up thing: the upper-housemaid asked, how dare she wear such ringlets and ribbons, it was quite improper! The cook (for there was a woman-cook as well as a man-cook) said to the kitchen-maid that she never could see anything in that creetur: but as for the men, every one of them, Coachman, John, Buttons, the page, and Monsieur, the Prince of Crim Tartary's valet, started up, and said--'My eyes!' }

'O mussey!' } 'What a pretty girl Betsinda is!'

'O jemmany!' }

'O ciel!'}

'Hands off; none of your impertinence, you vulgar, low people!'

says Betsinda, walking off with her pan of coals.She heard the young gentlemen playing at billiards as she went upstairs: first to Prince Giglio's bed, which she warmed, and then to Prince Bulbo's room.

He came in just as she had done; and as soon as he saw her, 'O!

O! O! O! O! O! what a beyou--oo--ootiful creature you are! You angel--you peri--you rosebud, let me be thy bulbul--thy Bulbo, too! Fly to the desert, fly with me! I never saw a young gazelle to glad me with its dark blue eye that had eyes like shine.Thou nymph of beauty, take, take this young heart.Atruer never did itself sustain within a soldier's waistcoat.Be mine! Be mine! Be Princess of Crim Tartary! My Royal father will approve our union; and, as for that little carroty-haired Angelica, I do not care a fig for her any more.'

'Go away, Your Royal Highness, and go to bed, please,' said Betsinda, with the warming-pan.

But Bulbo said, 'No, never, till thou swearest to be mine, thou lovely, blushing chambermaid divine! Here, at thy feet, the Royal Bulbo lies, the trembling captive of Betsinda's eyes.'

And he went on, making himself SO ABSURD AND RIDICULOUS, that Betsinda, who was full of fun, gave him a touch with the warming-pan, which, I promise you, made him cry 'O-o-o-o!' in a very different manner.

Prince Bulbo made such a noise that Prince Giglio, who heard him from the next room, came in to see what was the matter.As soon as he saw what was taking place, Giglio, in a fury, rushed on Bulbo, kicked him in the rudest manner up to the ceiling, and went on kicking him till his hair was quite out of curl.