ds cut off, you know. So you
see, Miss, we are hard at work to get it paint-ed, so that she may
not--" Just then Five, who had stood and watched the gate for some time,
called out, "The Queen! the Queen!" and the three men at once threw
them-selves flat up-on their fa-ces. Al-ice heard the tramp of feet and
looked round, glad if at last she could see the Queen.

[Illustration]

First came ten sol-diers with clubs; these were all shaped like the
three men at the rose tree, long and flat like cards, with their hands
and feet at the cor-ners; next came ten men who were trimmed with
di-a-monds and walked two and two like the sol-diers. The ten chil-dren
of the King and Queen came next; and the little dears came with a skip
and a jump hand in hand by twos. They were trimmed with hearts.

Next came the guests, most of whom were Kings and Queens. Al-ice saw
the White Rab-bit, with them. He did not seem at ease though he smiled
at all that was said. He didn't see Al-ice as he went by. Then came the
Knave of Hearts with the King's crown on a red vel-vet cush-ion; and
last of all came The King and Queen of Hearts.

[Illustration]

At first Al-ice thought it might be right for her to lie down on her
face like the three men at the rose tree, "but what would be the use of
such a fine show," she thought, "if all had to lie down so that they
couldn't see it?" So she stood where she was and wait-ed.

When they came to where she stood, they all stopped and looked at her,
and the Queen said in a stern voice, "Who is this?" She spoke to the
Knave of Hearts, who bowed and smiled but did not speak.

"Fool!" said the Queen with a toss of her head; then she turned to
Al-ice and asked, "What's your name, child?"

"My name is Al-ice, so please your ma-jes-ty," said Al-ice, but she
thought to her-self, "Why they're a mere pack of cards. I need have no
fears of them."

"And who are these?" asked the Queen, as she point-ed to the three men
who still lay round the rose tree; for you see as they all lay on their
faces and their backs were the same as the rest of the pack, she could
not tell who they were.

"How should I know?" said Al-ice, and thought it strange that she should
speak to a Queen in that way.

The Queen turned red with rage, glared at her for a mo-ment like a wild
beast, then screamed, "Off with her head! Off--"

"Non-sense!" said Al-ice, in a loud, firm voice, and the Queen said no
more.

The King laid his hand on th