'Hallo, sprat!' he said, with some abruptness; 'where do you spring from?'
'I came up the stream,' I explained, politely and comprehensively, 'and I was only looking for the Princess.'
'Then you are a water-baby,' he replied. 'And what do you think of the Princess, now you've found her?'
'I think she is lovely,' I said (and doubtless I was right, having never learned to flatter). 'But she's wide-awake, so I suppose somebody has kissed her!'
This very natural deduction moved the grown-up man to laughter; but the Princess, turning red and jumping up, declared that it was time for lunch.
'Come along, then,' said the grown-up man; 'and you too, water-baby; come and have something solid. You must want it.'
I accompanied them without any feeling of false delicacy. The world, as known to me, was spread with food each several mid-day, and the particular table one sat at seemed a matter of no importance. The palace was very sumptuous and beautiful, just what a palace ought to be; and we were met by a stately lady, rather more grown-up than the
