"There's a good child!" said the old lady. Then she stopped her wheel, and rose, and, going out of the room, returned with a little silver basin and a soft white towel, with which she washed and wiped the bright little face. And the princess thought her hands were so smooth and nice! When she carried away the basin and towel, the little princess wondered to see how straight and tall she was, for, although she was so old, she didn't stoop a bit. She was dressed in black velvet with thick white heavy-looking lace about it; and on the black dress her hair shone like silver. There was hardly any more furniture in the room than there might have been in that of the poorest old woman who made her bread by her spinning. There was no carpet on the floor--no table anywhere--nothing but the spinning-wheel and the chair beside it. When she came back, she sat down again, and without a word began her spinning once more, while Irene, who had never seen a spinning-wheel, stood by her side and looked on. When the old lady had succeeded in getting her thread fairly in operation again, she said to the princess, but without looking at her: "Do you know my name, child?" "No, I don't know it," answered the princess. "My name is Irene." "That's _my_ name!" cried the princess. "I know that. I let you have mine. I haven't got your name. You've got mine." "How can that be?" asked the princess, bewildered. "I've always had my name." "Your papa, the king, asked me if I had any objection to your having it; and of course I hadn't. I let you have it with pleasure." "It was very kind of you to give me your name--and such a pretty one," said the princess. "Oh, not so _very_ kind!" said the old lady. "A name is one of those things one can give away and keep all the same. I have a good many such things. Wouldn't you like to know who I am, child?" "Yes, that I should--very much." "I'm your great-great-grandmother," said the lady. "What's that?" asked the princess. "I'm your father's mother's father's mother." "Oh, dear! I can't understand that," said the princess. "I daresay not. I didn't expect you would. But that's no reason why I shouldn't say it." "Oh no!" answered the princess. "I will explain it all to you when you are older," the lady went on. "But you will be able to understand this much now: I came here to take care of you." "Is it long since you came? Was it yesterday? Or was it to-day, because it was so wet that I couldn't get out?" "I've been here ever since you came yourself." "What a long time!" said the princess. "I don't remember it at all." "No. I suppose not." "But I never saw you before." "No. But you shall see me again." "Do you live in this room always?" "I don't sleep in it. I sleep on the opposite side of the landing. I sit here most of the day." "I shouldn't like it. My nursery is much prettier. You must be a queen too, if you are my great big grandmother." "Yes, I am a queen." "Where is your crown then?" "In my bedroom."