Volume VII - Modernist Magazines Project

40 The Queen's Pleasurethough they have been married for perilously near ten years, arelittle better than a pair of sweethearts (and jealous sweethearts, atthat; you should have been present on a certain evening when wehad been having a long talk and laugh over old days in the LatinQuarter, and an evil spirit prompted one of us to regale herMajesty with a highly-coloured account of Theodore's youthfulinfatuation for Nina Childe ! . . . . Oh, their faces ! Oh, thesilence !); and then, witness her devotion to her brother, toher sisters ; her fondness for Florimond, for Madame Donarowska,who was her governess when she was a girl, and now lives withher in the Palace."I am writing a fairy-tale," Florimond said to her, "aboutPrincess Gugglegoo and Princess Ragglesnag."" Oh ? " questioned the Queen. " And who were they ? "" Princess Gugglegoo was all sweetness and pinkness, softnessand guilelessness, a rose full of honey, and without a thorn ; aperfect little cherub ; oh, such a duck ! Princess Ragglesnag wasall corners and sharp edges, fire and fret, dark moods and quickangers ; oh, such an intolerant, dictatorial, explosive, tempestuousprincess ! You could no more touch her than you could touch anettle, or a porcupine, or a live coal, or a Leyden jar, or any otherprickly, snaggy, knaggy, incandescent, electric thing. You didhave to mind your p's and q's with her ! But no matter howcarefully you minded them, she was sure to let you have it, sooneror later ; you were sure to rile her, one way or another : she wasthat cantankerous and tetchy,, and changeable and unexpected.—And then. .... Well, what do you suppose ? "" I'm waiting to hear," the Queen replied, a little drily." Oh, there ! If you're going to be grumpy, I won't play,"cried Florimond."I'm