WATERCRESS SEEMS TO GO WITH THE EARS Wiggs gave a parting pat to the tablecloth and stood looking at it with her head on one side. "Now, then," she said, "have we got everything?" "What about sardines?" said Woggs in her common way. (I don't know what she's doing in this scene at all, but Roger Scurvilegs insists on it.) "I don't think a _Prince_ would like _sardines_," said Wiggs. "If _I'd_ been on a long journey, I'd _love_ sardines. It _is_ a very long journey from Araby, isn't it?" "Awful long. Why, it's taken him nearly a week. Perhaps," she added hopefully, "he's had something on the way." "Perhaps he took some sandwiches with him," said Woggs, thinking that this would be a good thing to do. "What do you think he'll be like, Woggs?" Woggs though for a long time. "Like the King," she said. "Only different," she added, as an afterthought. Up came the Princess for the fifth time that afternoon, all excitement. "Well," she said, "is everything ready?" "Yes, your Royal Highness. Except Woggs and me didn't quite know about sardines." The Princess laughed happily. "I think there will be enough there for him. It all looks very nice." She turned round and discovered behind her the last person she wanted to see just then. The-last-person-she-wanted-to-see-just-then curtsied effectively. "Forgive me, your Royal Highness," she said profusely, "but I thought I had left Charlotte Patacake's priceless manuscript up here. No; evidently I was mistaken, your Royal Highness. I will withdraw, your Royal Highness, as I know your Royal Highness would naturally wish to receive his Royal Highness alone." Listening to this speech one is impressed with Woggs' method of calling everybody "Mum." "Not at all, Countess," said Hyacinth coldly. "We would prefer you to stay and help us receive his Royal Highness. He is a little late, I think." Belvane looked unspeakably distressed. "Oh, I do _hope_ that nothing has happened to him on the way," she exclaimed. "I've an uneasy feeling that something may have occurred." [Illustration: _Princess Hyacinth gave a shriek and faltered slowly backwards_] "What could have happened to him?" asked Hyacinth, not apparently very much alarmed. "Oh, your Royal Highness, it's just a sort of silly feeling of mine. There may be nothing in it." There was a noise of footsteps from below; a man's voice was heard. The Princess and the Countess, both extremely nervous, but from entirely different reasons, arranged suitable smiles of greeting upon their faces; Wiggs and Woggs stood in attitudes of appropriate meekness by the table. The Court Painter could have made a beautiful picture of it. "His Royal Highness Prince Udo of Araby," announced the voice of an attendant. "A nervous moment," said Belvane to herself. "Can the ring have failed to act?" Udo trotted in. "It hasn't," said Belvane.