"Don't let him know she liked him best, For this must ever be A secret, kept from all the rest, Between yourself and me." KING That's the most important piece of evidence we've heard yet; so now let the jury-- ALICE If anyone of them can explain it, I'll give him sixpence. I don't believe there's an atom of meaning in it. JURY She doesn't believe there's an atom of meaning in it. KING If there's no meaning in it, that saves a world of trouble, you know, as we needn't try to find any. And yet I don't know. [_Spreads out the verses on his knee and studies them._] I seem to see some meaning after all. "Said I could not swim." You can't swim, can you? KNAVE [_Shakes his head sadly and points to his suit._] Do I look like it? KING All right, so far; "We know it to be true," that's the jury, of course; "I gave her one, they gave him two" why that must be what he did with the tarts, you know-- ALICE But it goes on "they all returned from _him_ to _you_." KING [_Triumphantly pointing to the tarts._] Why, there they are! Nothing can be clearer than that. Then again, "before she had this fit," you never had fits, my dear, I think? QUEEN Never! KING Then the words don't _fit_ you. [_There is dead silence, while the KING looks around at the court with a smile._] KING It's a pun! [_Everybody laughs. Music._] KING Let the jury consider their verdict. QUEEN No, no! Sentence first--verdict afterwards. ALICE Stuff and nonsense! QUEEN [_Furiously._] Hold your tongue! ALICE I won't! QUEEN Off with her head! ALICE Who cares for you? QUEEN Cut it off! ALICE You're nothing but a pack of cards! [_As lights go out and curtain falls all the characters hold their positions as if petrified._] CURTAIN SCENE THREE [_The curtain rises to show ALICE still asleep in the armchair, the fire in the grate suffusing her with its glow._] CARROLL Wake up, Alice, it is time for tea. [_Off stage the characters repeat their most characteristic lines, "Off with her head," "Consider your verdict," "Oh! my fur and whiskers"; the DUCHESS sneezes, the cat cries, as if the characters were fading away into the pack of real playing cards which shower through the mirror all over ALICE. There is music._] ALICE [_Wakes, rises, and looks about in surprise and wonderment._] Why----it was a dream! CURTAIN End of Project Gutenberg's Alice in Wonderland, by Alice Gerstenberg