This character he assumed, and no doubt it fitted him better
than either the English cobbler or the German doctor; besides, as he
said, sham court costume is always the easiest to contrive: but
Cherry was by no means prepared to find the Rat-like poet the secret
admirer of a daughter of the Serene Highness who owned the jewel.
'Such a monstrous interpolation,' quoth Geraldine.
'Interpolations are the beauty of the thing. It would be as flat as a
pancake without.'
'And Wilmet won't like it.'
'Wilmet must be brought to the level of ordinary human nature.'
'I don't feel as if this were using her well. You know she expressly
consented to this "because there was no nonsense in it."'
'I.e. if it had been Cinderella, it would have been improper; if the
Sleeping Beauty, highly scandalous. Eh, Cherie?'
'You know I think Mettie _does_ carry her scruples pretty far,' said
Geraldine, trying not to laugh, 'but I won't be a party to cheating
her; and if this young princess is to come in, she must be told of
it.'
'Or she will take out her Gorgon's head in the midst, and petrify her
subjects! Maybe it will be safest to prepare her. You see, such
discipline reigns here, that a poor Bohemian like me doesn't know
where to be.
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