'That's Ethelinda, Archie--isn't she pretty?'
'I've seen them uglier,' he said; 'she's like that Eve de Something we saw at Drury Lane--we'll have her, and there's that chap in the fool's dress, we may want him. Now we're ready.'
'What are you going to do with them, Archie?'
'You leave that to me. I've an idea, something much better than your silly tea-parties.'
'Why doesn't he tell that child to go?' thought Ethelinda, 'we don't want _her_!'
'Now listen, Winifred,' said Archie: 'this is the game. You're a beautiful queen (only do sit up and take that finger out of your mouth--queens don't do that). Well, and I'm the king, and this is your maid of honour, the beautiful Lady Ethelinda, see?'
'Go on, Archie; I see,' cried Winifred; 'and I like it so far.'
'I think _I_ ought to have been the queen!' said Ethelinda to herself.
'Well, now,' said the boy, 'I'll tell you something. This maid of honour of yours doesn't like you (don't say she does, now; I'm telling this, and I know). You watch her carefully. Can't you see a sort of look in her face as if she didn't think much of you?'
'How clever he is,' thought Ethelinda; 'he knows exactly how I feel!'
'Do you really think it's that, Archie?' said Winifred; 'it's just what I was afraid of before you came in.'
'That's it. Look out for a kind of glare in her eye when I pay you any attention. (How does Your Majesty do? Well, I hope.) There, didn't you see it? Well, that's jealousy, that is. She hates you like anything!'
'I'm sure she doesn't, then,' protested Winifred.
'Oh, well, if you know better than I do, you can finish it for yourself. I'm going.'
'No, no; do stay. I like it. I'll be good after this!'
'Don't you interrupt again, then. Now the real truth is that she'd like to be queen instead of you; she's ambitious, you know--that's what's the matter with her. And so she's got it into her head that if you were only out of the way, I should ask _her_ to be the next queen!'
Winifred could not say a word, she was so overcome by the idea of her doll's unkindness; and Archie took Ethelinda by the waist and brought her near her royal mistress as he said: 'Now you'll see how artful she is; she's coming to ask you if she may go out. Listen. "Please, Your Gracious Majesty, may I go out for a little while?"'