over again with his foot.

"That thing's the matter," said he.

King Hal stooped down, with his hands on his knees, and stared at me.
Then he gave a low whistle.

"Whew!" said he. "That's a catch and a half. Where did you get him?"

"Here, a quarter of an hour ago," said William the Conqueror. "It was
me nobbled him."

"Not me--_I_," said Henry the First.

"You!" exclaimed the Conqueror. "Why, what do you expect if you tell
lies like that?"

"I didn't mean I got him," explained Henry. "I meant you should say it
was _I_."

"I shan't say it was you, when it was me," said William. "I'm not given
to that style of thing, I can tell you."

"No, no," began Henry again. "What I mean is, that instead of saying it
was _me_--"

"Who said it was you? I said it was me."

"Yes, and that's where you make a mistake. You should say--"

"Look here," said Henry the Eighth, "suppose you settle that outside.
The thing is--whoever nobbled him, as William says--hadn't we better
give him a cold chop, now we've got him?"

"Better try him first," said John. "I make a strong point of that in
Magna Charta, you know."

"Much easier to take the chop first," said Henry.

"I prefer stakes myself," said Queen Mary, joining the party.

"Well, well, any way you like," said King Hal; "anything for a quiet
life. The ladies are worrying me to give them a day out, and an Old
Bailey trial will be a nice variety for them. Only, let's have it done
in proper state, if we have it at all. I suppose you'd like me to be
judge, eh?"

Nobody seemed particularly pleased at this proposal; and Richard said--

"You'd better ask Elizabeth, hadn't you?"

"Oh, good gracious, no!" exclaimed Henry in alarm. "Don't say a word
about it to her, or there'll be a terrible rumpus. I assure you I have
studied law all my life. Come along. Bring him downstairs and let's
begin. Here, Teddy," cried he to a nice-looking boy not far off, who
must have been Edward the Fifth. "Here, Teddy, run and tell Catherine,
and Annie, and Janie, and Annie Cleeves, and Kitty Howard, and Kitty
Parr--let's see, is that all?" said he, counting them over on his
fingers; "yes, six--tell 'em all to hurry up, and not to let Elizabeth
see them, whatever they do. Oh, and you can tell all the lot of
Majesties after Johnny here they'd better come, too. Come, look alive,
my lad."

"All, very well," said Teddy; "how am I to look alive after the way I've
been served?