'
'You frighten me dreadfully,' said Irene, trembling.
'You must be brave for your king's sake,' said Curdie.
'Indeed I will,' she replied, and turned a long loving look upon
the beautiful face of her father. 'But what is to be done? And
how am I to believe such horrible things of Dr Kelman?'
'my dear Princess,' replied Curdie, 'you know nothing of him but
his face and his tongue, and they are both false. Either you must
beware of him, or you must doubt your grandmother and me; for I
tell you, by the gift she gave me of testing hands, that this man
is a snake. That round body he shows is but the case of a serpent.
Perhaps the creature lies there, as in its nest, coiled round and
round inside.'
'Horrible!' said Irene.
'Horrible indeed; but we must not try to get rid of horrible things
by refusing to look at them, and saying they are not there. Is not
your beautiful father sleeping better since he had the wine?'
'Yes.'
'Does he always sleep better after having it?'
She reflected an instant.
'No; always worse - till tonight,' she answered.
'Then remember that was the wine I got him - not what the butler
drew. Nothing that passes through any hand in the house except
yours or mine must henceforth, till he is well, reach His Majesty's
lips.'
'But how, dear Curdie?' said the princess, almost crying.
Pages:
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149