ask you to do it in dread that you might spoil the
whiteness ...

_Princess_: I have no mind to do it.

_Manus_: Of the flour!

_Princess_: Give them here.

_(Rolls them out indignantly.)_

_Manus_: That is right. Take care, King, would
the froth swell over the brim.

_Princess_: It seems to me you are doing but
little yourself.

_Manus_: I will turn now and ... boil these
eggs.

_(Takes some on a plate; they roll off.)_

_Princess_: You have broken them.

_Manus: (Disconcerted.)_ It was to show you a
good trick, how to make them sit up on the narrow
end.

_Princess_: That is an old trick in the world.

_Manus_: Every trick is an old one, but with
a change of players, a change of dress, it comes
out as new as before. Princess _(speaks low)_, I
have a message to give you and a pardon to ask.

_Princess_: Give me out the message.

_Manus_: Take courage and keep courage through
this day. Do not let your heart fail. There is
help beside you.

_Princess_: It has been a troublesome day indeed.
But there is a worse one and a great danger before
me in the far away.

_Manus_: That danger will come to-day, the
message said in the dream. Princess, I have a
pardon to ask you. I have been playing vanities.
I think I have wronged you doing this. It was
surely through no want of respect.

_Gatekeeper: (Coming in.)_ There is word come
from Ballyvelehan there is a coach and horses
facing for this place over from Oughtmana.

_Queen_: Who would that be?

_Gatekeeper_: Up on the hill a woman was, brought
word it must be some high gentleman. She could
see all colours in the coach, and flowers on the
horse's heads.

_Goes out_.)

_Dall Glic_: That is good hearing. I was in
dread some man we would have no welcome for
would be the first to come in this day.

_Queen_: Not a fear of it. I had orders given
to the Gateman who he would and would not
keep out. I did that the very minute after the
King making his proclamation and his law.

_King_: Pup, pup. You need not be drawing
that down.

_Queen_: It is well you have myself to care you
and to turn all to good. I gave orders to the
Gateman, I say, no one to be let in to the door
unless carriage company, no other ones, even if they
should wipe their feet upon the mat. I notched
that in his mind, telling him the King was after
promising the Princess Nu in marriage to the first
man that would come into the house.

_Manus_: The King gave out that word?