Volume VII - Modernist Magazines Project

By Henry Harland 41" Pm not grumpy—as you call it. Only, your characters arerather conventionally drawn. However, go on, go on."" There was a distinct suggestion of menace in your tone. Butnever mind. If you didn't really mean it, we'll pretend therewasn't.—Well, my dears," he went on, turning, so as to includethe King in his audience, u you never will believe me, but it's asolemn, sober fact that these two princesses were twin sisters, andthat they looked so much alike that nobody, not even their ownborn mother, could tell them apart. Now, wasn't that surprising ?Only, Ragglesnag looked like Gugglegoo suddenly curdled andgone sour, you know ; and Gugglegoo looked like Ragglesnagsuddenly wreathed out in smiles and graces. So that the courtiersused to say, c Hello ! What can have happened ? Here comesdear Princess Gugglegoo looking as black as thunder.' Or else—c Bless us and save us ! What's this miracle ? Here comes oldRagglesnag looking as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.'—Well, and then."Oh, you needn't continue," the Queen interrupted, bridling." You're tedious and obvious, and utterly unfair and unjust. Ihope I'm not an insipid little fool, like Gugglegoo ; but I don'tthink I'm quite a termagant, either, like your horrid exaggeratedRagglesnag."" Oh, dear ! Oh, dear ! " wailed Florimond. " Why willpeople go and make a personal application of everything a fellowsays ? If I had been even remotely thinking of your Majesty, Ishould never have dreamed of calling her by either of thoseridiculous outlandish names. Gugglegoo and Ragglesnag, indeed! ""What would you have called her ? " the King asked, who waschuckling inscrutably, in his arm-chair." Well, I might have called her Ragglegoo, and I might havecalled