int to the portrait of Prince Bulbo, which Sir Tomaso had left behind
him, and say 'Which among you can paint a picture like that?'
It hung in the royal parlour over the royal sideboard, and Princess
Angelica could always look at it as she sat making the tea. Each day it
seemed to grow handsomer and handsomer, and the Princess grew so fond
of looking at it, that she would often spill the tea over the cloth, at
which her father and mother would wink and wag their heads, and say to
each other, 'Aha! we see how things are going.'
In the meantime poor Giglio lay upstairs very sick in his chamber,
though he took all the doctor's horrible medicines like a good young
lad; as I hope YOU do, my dears, when you are ill and mamma sends for
the medical man. And the only person who visited Giglio (besides his
friend the captain of the guard, who was almost always busy or on
parade), was little Betsinda the housemaid, who used to do his bedroom
and sitting-room out, bring him his gruel, and warm his bed.
When the little housemaid came to him in the morning and evening, Prince
Giglio used to say, 'Betsinda, Betsinda, how is the Princess Angelica?'
And Betsinda used to answer, 'The Princess is very well, thank you, my
Lord.' And Giglio would heave a sigh, and think, if Angelica were sick,
I am sure _I_ should not be very well.
Then Giglio would say, 'Betsinda, has the Princess Angelica asked for
me today?' And Betsinda would answer, 'No, my Lord, not today'; or, 'she
was very busy practicing the piano when I saw her'; or, 'she was writing
invitations for an evening party, and did not speak to me'; or make some
excuse or other, not strictly consonant with truth: for Betsinda was
such a good-natured creature that she strove to do everything to prevent
annoyance to Prince Giglio, and even brought him up roast chicken and
jellies from the kitchen (when the Doctor allowed them, and Giglio was
getting better), saying, 'that the Princess had made the jelly, or the
bread-sauce, with her own hands, on purpose for Giglio.'
When Giglio heard this he took heart and began to mend immediately;
and gobbled up all the jelly, and picked the last bone of the
chicken--drumsticks, merry-thought, sides'-bones, back, pope's nose,
and all--thanking his dear Angelica; and he felt so much better the next
day, that he dressed and went downstairs, where, whom should he meet
but Angelica going into the drawing-room? All the covers were off the
chairs,
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