Irene Behaves Like a Princess
When the princess awoke from the sweetest of sleeps, she found her nurse bending over her, the housekeeper looking over the nurse’s shoulder, and the laundry-maid looking over the housekeeper’s. The room was full of women-servants; and the gentlemen-at-arms, with a long column of servants behind them, were peeping, or trying to peep in at the door of the nursery.
“Are those horrid creatures gone?” asked the princess, remembering first what had terrified her in the morning.
“You naughty, naughty little princess!” cried Lootie.
Her face was very pale, with red streaks in it, and she looked as if she were going to shake her; but Irene said nothing—only waited to hear what should come next.
“How could you get under the clothes like that, and make us all fancy you were lost! And keep it up all day too! You are the most obstinate child! It’s anything but fun to us, I can tell you!”
It was the only way the nurse could account for her disappearance.
“I didn’t do that, Lootie,” said Irene, very quietly.
“Don’t tell stories!” cried her nurse quite rudely.
“I shall tell you nothing at all,” said Irene.
“That’s just as bad,” said the nurse.