He had never had
such a good chance of hearing something. He crept through the hole
as softly as he could, scrambled a good way down the wall towards
them without attracting attention, and then sat down and listened.
The king, evidently the queen, and probably the crown prince and
the Prime Minister were talking together. He was sure of the queen
by her shoes, for as she warmed her feet at the fire, he saw them
quite plainly.
'That will be fun!' said the one he took for the crown prince.
It was the first whole sentence he heard.
'I don't see why you should think it such a grand affair!' said his
stepmother, tossing her head backward.
'You must remember, my spouse,' interposed His Majesty, as if
making excuse for his son, 'he has got the same blood in him. His
mother -'
'Don't talk to me of his mother! You positively encourage his
unnatural fancies. Whatever belongs to that mother ought to be cut
out of him.'
'You forget yourself, my dear!' said the king.
'I don't,' said the queen, 'nor you either. If you expect me to
approve of such coarse tastes, you will find yourself mistaken.
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