Hisnose—therewasnotmuchofitcertainly,butwhattherewasseemedanaquilineshape;hiscomplexionwasacharming,healthypurple;hewasroundandfat,straight-limbedandlong—infact,asplendidbaby,andeverybodywasexceedinglyproudofhim,especiallyhisfatherandmother,theKingandQueenofNomansland,whohadwaitedforhimduringtheirhappyreignoftenyears—nowmadehappierthanever,tothemselvesandtheirsubjects,bytheappearanceofasonandheir.
TheonlypersonwhowasnotquitehappywastheKing’sbrother,theheirpresumptive,whowouldhavebeenkingonedayhadthebabynotbeenborn.
Butashismajestywasverykindtohim,andevenrathersorryforhim—insomuchthatattheQueen’srequesthegavehimadukedomalmostasbigasacounty—theCrown-Prince,ashewascalled,triedtoseempleasedalso;andletushopehesucceeded.
Accordingtothecustomofthecountry,therewerechosenforhimfour-and-twentygodfathersandgodmothers,whoeachhadtogivehimaname,andpromisetodotheirutmostforhim.
Whenhecameofage,hehimselfhadtochoosethename—andthegodfatherorgodmother—thathelikedthebest,fortherestofhisdays.
Meantimeallwasrejoicing.Subscriptionsweremadeamongtherichtogivepleasuretothepoor;dinnersintownhallsfortheworkingmen;teapartiesinthestreetsfortheirwives;andmilk-and-bunfeastsforthechildrenintheschoolrooms.
ForNomansland,thoughIcannotpointitoutinanymap,orreadofitinanyhistory,was,Ibelieve,muchlikeourownormanyanothercountry.
Asforthepalace—whichwasnodifferentfromotherpalaces—itwasclean“turnedoutofthewindows,”aspeoplesay,withthepreparationsgoingon.
Theonlyquietplaceinitwastheroomwhich,thoughthePrincewassixweeksold,hismothertheQueenhadneverquitted.
Nobodysaidshewasill,however—itwouldhavebeensoinconvenient;andasshesaidnothingaboutitherself,butlaypaleandplacid,givingnotroubletoanybody,nobodythoughtmuchabouther.
Allthepeopleinthepalacewerelovelytoo—orthoughtthemselvesso—intheelegantnewclotheswhichtheQueen,whothoughtofeverybody,hadtakencaretogivethem,fromtheladies-in-waitingdowntothepoorlittlekitchen-maid,wholookedatherselfinherpinkcottongown,andthought,doubtless,thatthereneverwassuchaprettygirlasshe.
Bysixinthemorningalltheroyalhouseholdhaddresseditselfinitsverybest;andthenthelittlePrincewasdressedinhisbest—hismagnificentchristeningrobe;whichproceedinghisRoyalHighnessdidnotlikeatall,butkickedandscreamedlikeanycommonbaby.
Whenhehadalittlecalmeddown,theycarriedhimtobelookedatbytheQueenhismother,who,thoughherroyalrobeshadbeenbroughtandlaiduponthebed,was,aseverybodywellknew,quiteunabletoriseandputthemon.
Sheadmiredherbabyverymuch;kissedandblessedhim,andlaylookingathim,asshedidforhourssometimes,whenhewasplacedbesideherfastasleep;thenshegavehimupwithagentlesmile,and,sayingshehopedhewouldbeverygood,thatitwouldbeaverynicechristening,andalltheguestswouldenjoythemselves,turnedpeacefullyoveronherbed,sayingnothingmoretoanybody.
All,eventhekinghimself,hadgrownusedtoherabsence;forshewasnotstrong,andforyearshadnotjoinedinanygayeties.
Thecompanyarrived:greatandnotablepersonsinthisandneighboringcountries;alsothefour-and-twentygodfathersandgodmothers,whohadbeenchosenwithcare,asthepeoplewhowouldbemostusefultohisroyalhighnessshouldheeverwantfriends,whichdidnotseemlikely.
Theycame,walkingtwoandtwo,withtheircoronetsontheirheads—beingdukesandduchesses,princesandprincesses,orthelike;theyallkissedthechildandpronouncedthenameeachhadgivenhim.
Thenthefour-and-twentynameswereshoutedoutwithgreatenergybysixheralds,oneaftertheother,andafterwardwrittendown,tobepreservedinthestaterecords,inreadinessforthenexttimetheywerewanted,whichwouldbeeitheronhisRoyalHighness’coronationorhisfuneral.
Soontheceremonywasover,andeverybodysatisfied;except,perhaps,thelittlePrincehimself,whomoanedfaintlyunderhischristeningrobes,whichnearlysmotheredhim.
Hisnurse,—nothisordinaryone,butthestatenurse-maid,—anelegantandfashionableyoungladyofrank,whosedutyitwastocarryhimtoandfromthechapel,hadbeensooccupiedinarranginghertrainwithonehand,whilesheheldthebabywiththeother,thatshestumbledandlethimfall,justatthefootofthemarblestaircase.
Tobesure,shecontrivedtopickhimupagainthenextminute;andtheaccidentwassoslightitseemedhardlyworthspeakingof.Consequentlynobodydidspeakofit.
Thebabyhadturneddeadlypale,butdidnotcry,sonopersonasteportwobehindcoulddiscoveranythingwrong;afterward,evenifhehadmoaned,thesilvertrumpetswereloudenoughtodrownhisvoice.
SuchaprocessionwithHeraldsinblueandsilver;pagesincrimsonandgold;andatroopoflittlegirlsindazzlingwhite,carryingbasketsofflowers,whichtheystrewedallthewaybeforethenurseandchild—finallythefour-and-twentygodfathersandgodmothers,asproudaspossible,andsosplendidtolookatthattheywouldhavequiteextinguishedtheirsmallgodson—merelyaheapoflaceandmuslinwithababyfaceinside—haditnotbeenforacanopyofwhitesatinandostrichfeatherswhichwasheldoverhimwhereverhewascarried.
Thus,withthesunshiningonthemthroughthepaintedwindows,theystood;thekingandhistrainononeside,thePrinceandhisattendantsontheother,asprettyasightaseverwasseenoutoffairyland.
“It’sjustlikefairyland,”whisperedtheeldestlittlegirltothenexteldest,assheshookthelastroseoutofherbasket;“andIthinktheonlythingthePrincewantsnowisafairygod-mother.”
“Doeshe?”saidashrillbutsoftandnotunpleasantvoicebehind;andtherewasseenamongthegroupofchildrensomebody,—notachild,yetnobiggerthanachild,—somebodywhomnobodyhadseenbefore,andwhocertainlyhadnotbeeninvited,forshehadnochristeningclotheson.
Shewasalittleoldwomandressedallingray:graygown;grayhoodedcloak,ofamaterialexcessivelyfine,andatintthatseemedperpetuallychanging,likethegrayofaneveningsky.
Buttherewasnothingunpleasantlyoldabouther,andhersmilewasassweetandchildlikeasthePrince’sown,whichstoleoverhispalelittlefacetheinstantshecamenearenoughtotouchhim.
—Imean,whatbusinesshasanybody——”Thenfrightened,butstillspeakinginamuchsharpertonethanIhopeyoungladiesofrankareinthehabitofspeaking—”Oldwoman,youwillbekindenoughnottosay‘thebaby,’but‘thePrince.’
“You!”echoedtheheraldsandpages—andtheybegantoblowthesilvertrumpetsinordertostopallfurtherconversation.
ThePrince’sprocessionformeditselfforreturning,—theKingandhistrainhavingalreadymovedofftowardthepalace,—butonthetop-moststepofthemarblestairsstood,rightinfrontofall,thelittleoldwomanclothedingray.
“Thisisintolerable!”criedtheyoungladynurse,wipingthekissesoffrapidlywithherlacehandkerchief.“SuchaninsulttohisRoyalHighness!
“TheKingknowsnothingofme,more’sthepity,”repliedtheoldwoman,withanindifferentair,asifshethoughtthelosswasmoreonhisMajesty’ssidethanhers.
And—sinceyoudroppedhimonthemarblestairs(thisshesaidinamysteriouswhisper,whichmadetheyoungladytrembleinspiteofheranger)—Ichoosetotakehimformyown,andbehisgodmother,readytohelphimwheneverhewantsme.”
“Youhelphim!”criedallthegroupbreakingintoshoutsoflaughter,towhichthelittleoldwomanpaidnottheslightestattention.
HersoftgrayeyeswerefixedonthePrince,whoseemedtoanswertothelook,smilingagainandagaininthecauseless,aimlessfashionthatbabiesdosmile.
“HisMajestywillhearquiteenoughnewsinaminuteortwo,”saidtheoldwomansadly.AndagainstretchinguptothelittlePrince,shekissedhimontheforeheadsolemnly.
“Inmemoryof!”Everybodystartedattheominousphrase,andalsoatamostterriblebreachofetiquettewhichtheoldwomanhadcommitted.
Theydroppeditontheircoronationday,anditneverwasmentionedagaintillitwasengravedontheircoffinswhentheydied.
Thefirstgentleman,calledtheGold-stick-in-waiting,raisedittostrikeher,andallthereststretchedouttheirhandstoseizeher;butthegraymantlemeltedfrombetweentheirfingerslikeair;and,beforeanybodyhadtimetodoanythingmore,therecameaheavy,muffled,startlingsound.
Thegreatbellofthepalacethebellwhichwasonlyheardonthedeathofsomeoneoftheroyalfamily,andforasmanytimesasheorshewasyearsold—begantotoll.
Sendingawayallherwomentoseethegrandsight,—atleasttheysaidafterward,inexcuse,thatshehaddoneso,anditwasverylikehertodoit,—shehadturnedwithherfacetothewindow,whenceonecouldjustseethetopsofthedistantmountains—theBeautifulMountains,astheywerecalled—whereshewasborn.Sogazing,shehadquietlydied.
Asforhisgodmother,—thelittleoldwomaningraywhocalledherselfso,—whethershemeltedintoair,likehergownwhentheytouchedit,orwhethersheflewoutofthechapelwindow,orslippedthroughthedoorwayamongthebewilderedcrowd,nobodyknew—nobodyeverthoughtabouther.
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