‘Yes. I’d like to see their faces when the King’s State Car rolls up, complete with clothes for them all,’ said Bill. ‘The King’s a great sport. He’s asked Pedro, Toni, Bingo and old Ma too-and sent clothes for them all!’
‘Goodness!’ said Jack. ‘Old Ma! She’ll have the time of her life. But if it hadn’t been for her looking after Gussy he’d certainly have been caught. I say-this is going to be quite a party, isn’t it?’
‘Oh, quite,’ said Bill. ‘And your aunt is arriving today too!’
‘It’s just like a pantomime ending!’ said Jack, delighted. ‘Everyone on the stage at the end!’
‘You’d better get up,’ said Bill. ‘The King is making his speech to the people at twelve o’clock, and it’s now eleven. After that there is to be a really splendid luncheon laid on-and you’ll be sorry you ate so much breakfast, I can tell you!’
Jack leapt out of bed. ‘Is it really eleven o’clock? Gosh, I’ll never be ready. I don’t know how to put all these clothes on-buckles-sashes-ruffles-good gracious, is it fancy dress?’
‘No. Ordinary Tauri-Hessian festival wear,’ said Bill. ‘I don’t feel able to cope with it myself, nor does Ronnie. We feel a bit more English in our own things, but you and the others will look fine.’
Jack was ready at a quarter to twelve. He looked at himself in the glass. ‘Gracious-I’m like a pantomime prince. I really must have my photograph taken to show the boys at school-they’ll laugh their heads off!’
There came the sound of cheering in the street below. Jack opened his window and looked out. A very grand State Car was being driven slowly up the street, followed by yet another. The people were cheering each one as it went by.
Jack nearly fell out of the window, and Kiki gave a loud screech. ‘Look, Kiki-do you see who’s in the first car!’ cried Jack. ‘Lucy-Ann, Philip, Gussy and Dinah! Did you ever see anyone looking so grand? And look in the second car-Pedro-Ma-Toni and Bingo! They look as fine as if they were just going to perform in the circus ring!’
So they did. Ma, especially, looked magnificent, and she had a sudden unexpected dignity that made Pedro look at her with surprise and great pride. His mother! Old Ma, riding in a State Car, wearing silk clothes right down to her skin! Pedro couldn’t believe it.
He looked very grand himself, and enjoyed it. He knew that nothing like this would ever happen to him again in his life and he meant to enjoy every moment of it.
Toni and Bingo looked grand but subdued. They were not in the least nervous when they went into the circus ring-but they couldn’t help feeling nervous now-all this cheering and shouting when they weren’t even performing!
The cars turned in at the gates, and Jack leaned out of the window and yelled, quite forgetting that he was in a King’s palace.
‘Lucy-Ann! I’m up here!’
Kiki squawked too. ‘Hip-hip-hip-hip-hurrah! Send for the doctor!’
Twelve o’clock came. The King went out on the balcony of his palace to show himself to his people and to make a speech to explain all that had happened. There was dead silence as the loud-speakers relayed the simple, vigorous speech.
Bill thought that Tauri-Hessia had a very fine King. He was glad that the Count had not dethroned him and put Gussy up as King himself. Gussy was just a silly little boy at present-but perhaps, when he had learnt all that the British people had to teach him, at lessons and at games, he would make as fine a King as his uncle.
Gussy had a tremendous reception when his uncle called him to his side, and presented him to the people. After all the scares of the last few days, they needed to see not only the King but the little Prince too.
Gussy looked every inch a Prince, as he saluted stiffly, and then bowed in every direction. He wore magnificent clothes, and his cloak blew out in the wind, showing its scarlet lining. Jack grinned as he thought how Gussy had looked when he had seen him last-dressed as a girl, with his long hair tied up in bows. Poor Gussy! Nobody must ever learn of that, or he would be teased about it for the rest of his life-and Gussy did not like teasing.
The next thing was the luncheon. The children had all been put at a table together, with Gussy and Pedro as well. Ma, Toni and Bingo were at a side-table too, very conscious of their fine clothes. They put on fine manners to match, and ate everything with knives, forks or spoons, instead of using only their fingers half the time as they usually did.
The six children talked eagerly together, exchanging news. ‘Fank is up and about again,’ said Philip. ‘Thank goodness he is, or I couldn’t have come. Hallo, Snoozy, do you want to join us at last? He’s seen those almonds, Dinah-do look at him, holding one and nibbling it!’
‘I don’t like him on the table,’ said Dinah, but she was much too happy to make a fuss. She told Jack of the excitement when the message came that they were all to dress in State clothes and be driven to the Palace. ‘We just couldn’t believe it!’ she said. ‘Tell us again about last night, Jack, and how you rescued the King and caught the Count.’
Gussy was tremendously excited. His eyes sparkled, and he talked nineteen to the dozen. He felt in his element now-he was a Prince, the heir to the throne, Prince Aloysius Gramondie-not a silly little crybaby with much too long hair!
‘Here’s Aunt Allie!’ cried Lucy-Ann, suddenly. She threw down her table-napkin and flew across the luncheon-room, thinking of nothing but welcoming the person she loved so much. ‘Aunt Allie! You’ve come!’
Mrs. Cunningham was being ushered into the great room by two servants, who called out her name. Bill went to her at once, and Dinah, Philip and Jack joined Lucy-Ann in her rush across the room. This was all that was needed to make things perfect!
Bill’s eyes were shining as he took his wife to introduce her to the King. A place had been left for her on his other side, for her aeroplane had been expected for the last half hour. She was quite bewildered by everything, for she knew only half the story, of course.
Gussy waited till the others had made enough fuss of her and then went up himself. She held out her hand to him, and he bowed over it, and kissed it politely, just as his uncle had done. Somehow it seemed right in Tauri-Hessia-quite a natural thing to do, and none of the children even thought of laughing.
After the grand lunch the children went to see over the Palace. ‘My word-you’re lucky to be able to spend the rest of your hols here, Gussy,’ said Jack. ‘It’s a wonderful place. Not that I’d like to live here, of course-but to stay for a few weeks as you’ll be able to do-you’re jolly lucky!’
‘We shall miss you, Gussy,’ said Lucy-Ann. ‘I suppose we’ll be leaving tomorrow, or sometime soon. I’m quite sorry this adventure is over.’
‘But it isn’t,’ said Gussy, his face beaming all over. ‘It isn’t! I have asked my uncle to let me have you here as my guests. You will stay? Or do you not like me well enough? You have so often tizzed me-like when my finger blidded.’
‘Oh, Gussy-it doesn’t mean we don’t like people when we tease them!’ said Lucy-Ann. ‘Do you really mean that your uncle wants us to stay? All of us? I don’t want to stay without Bill and Aunt Allie.’
‘All of you,’ said Gussy, beaming again. ‘Kiki and Snoozy too. But not Pedro and the others because they must go with the circus, they say. Then you will stay with me till we go back to school togezzer?’
‘We’d love to,’ said Jack. ‘I could do with a couple of weeks in a Palace. I’ll take some pictures back to show the boys. They’ll think I’m telling them fairy-tales if I don’t!’
Pedro, Ma, Toni and Bingo said goodbye to the five children that evening. They were still wearing their splendid clothes. ‘We’ve been told we can keep them,’ said Pedro, grinning. ‘I shall fancy myself when I go into the ring to help Toni and Bingo set up their wires now-the Great and Only Pedro the Magnificent.’
He bowed himself almost to the ground. Ma gave him a resounding slap. ‘Ha! You will peel potatoes for your old Ma tonight!’ she said, and laughed loudly. Kiki imitated her and made her laugh all the more.
The children were sorry when the circus-folk had gone. They had been such good friends. ‘I hope we’ll see them sometime again,’ said Lucy-Ann. ‘I liked them all.’