, she was a very kind, merry, civil, pretty girl; but there must
have been something very captivating about her this evening, for all
the women in the servants' hall began to scold and abuse her. The
housekeeper said she was a pert, stuck-up thing: the upper-housemaid
asked, how dare she wear such ringlets and ribbons, it was quite
improper! The cook (for there was a woman-cook as well as a man-cook)
said to the kitchen-maid that she never could see anything in that
creetur: but as for the men, every one of them, Coachman, John, Buttons,
the page, and Monsieur, the Prince of Crim Tartary's valet, started up,
and said--

'My eyes!' }
'O mussey!' } 'What a pretty girl Betsinda is!'
'O jemmany!' }
'O ciel!' }

'Hands off; none of your impertinence, you vulgar, low people!' says
Betsinda, walking off with her pan of coals. She heard the young
gentlemen playing at billiards as she went upstairs: first to Prince
Giglio's bed, which she warmed, and then to Prince Bulbo's room.

He came in just as she had done; and as soon as he saw her, 'O! O! O!
O! O! O! what a beyou--oo--ootiful creature you are! You angel--you
peri--you rosebud, let me be thy bulbul--thy Bulbo, too! Fly to the
desert, fly with me! I never saw a young gazelle to glad me with its
dark blue eye that had eyes like shine. Thou nymph of beauty, take, take
this young heart. A truer never did itself sustain within a soldier's
waistcoat. Be mine! Be mine! Be Princess of Crim Tartary! My Royal
father will approve our union; and, as for that little carroty-haired
Angelica, I do not care a fig for her any more.'

'Go away, Your Royal Highness, and go to bed, please,' said Betsinda,
with the warming-pan.

But Bulbo said, 'No, never, till thou swearest to be mine, thou lovely,
blushing chambermaid divine! Here, at thy feet, the Royal Bulbo lies,
the trembling captive of Betsinda's eyes.'

And he went on, making himself SO ABSURD AND RIDICULOUS, that Betsinda,
who was full of fun, gave him a touch with the warming-pan, which, I
promise you, made him cry 'O-o-o-o!' in a very different manner.

Prince Bulbo made such a noise that Prince Giglio, who heard him from
the next room, came in to see what was the matter. As soon as he saw
what was taking place, Giglio, in a fury, rushed on Bulbo, kicked him
in the rudest manner up to the ceiling, and went on kicking him till his
hair was quite out of curl.

Poor Betsinda did not know whether to laug