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.

'Just as bad to say nothing at all as to tell stories?' exclaimed the
princess. 'I will ask my papa about that. He won't say so. And I
don't think he will like you to say so.'

'Tell me directly what you mean by it!' screamed the nurse, half wild
with anger at the princess and fright at the possible consequences to
herself.

'When I tell you the truth, Lootie,' said the princess, who somehow did
not feel at all angry, 'you say to me "Don't tell stories": it seems I
must tell stories before you will believe me.'

'You are very rude, princess,' said the nurse.

'You are so rude, Lootie, that I will not speak to you again till you
are sorry. Why should I, when I know you will not believe me?'
returned the princess. For she did know perfectly well that if she
were to tell Lootie what she had been about, the more she went on to
tell her, the less would she believe her.

'You are the most provoking child!' cried her nurse. 'You deserve to
be well punished for your wicked behaviour.'

'Please, Mrs Housekeeper,' said the princess, 'will you take me to your
room, and keep me till my king-papa comes? I will ask him to come as
soon as he can.'

Every one stared at these words. Up to this moment they had all
regarded her as little more than a baby.

But the housekeeper was afraid of the nurse, and sought to patch
matters up, saying:

'I am sure, princess, nursie did not mean to be rude to you.'

'I do not think my papa would wish me to have a nurse who spoke to me
as Lootie does. If she thinks I tell lies, she had better either say
so to my papa, or go away. Sir Walter, will you take charge of me?'

'With the greatest of pleasure, princess,' answered the captain of the
gentlemen-at-arms, walking with his great stride into the room.

The crowd of servants made eager way for him, and he b