he greater sensation, the Wallypug or
A. Fish, Esq. These two individuals, however, comported themselves
with the calmest dignity, only the Doctor-in-Law seemed flurried by
the attention which they attracted, and smiled and bowed right and
left, whether the people took any notice of him or not.
As we approached Hyde-Park corner attention was diverted from the
Wallypug's carriage by the fact that _another_ royal equipage had
entered the Park gates; and as the Princess passed us, an amused
glance and a whispered conversation with the other occupant of the
carriage showed that the Wallypug's extraordinary party had not
escaped Her Royal Highness's attention.
After going once round the Park we went out at the Marble Arch and
along Oxford Street to Holborn, our progress through the crowded
streets everywhere attracting the most excited interest. And when
we stopped before one of the large bicycle _depots_ in Holborn the
crowd around the carriage was so large that the policeman had quite a
difficulty in preventing a block in the traffic. Our business was soon
transacted, and, having secured an excellent machine for the boy in
place of the one which his Majesty had damaged in the morning, we
drove back to Kensington without further adventure.
The Wallypug's curiosity, however, was so awakened by what he had seen
that, as soon as we had been refreshed by a cup of afternoon tea, he
suggested that we should go out for a walk; accordingly the whole
party proceeded to Kensington Gardens, followed by a curious and
somewhat derisive crowd of small boys, who would insist upon advising
the Wallypug to "get his hair cut." Now, I happened to know, from what
Girlie had told me about her adventures in Why, that the Wallypug,
though a kind of king, had to do as his people directed and not as he
liked, and that when he had presented a petition in Parliament to be
allowed to have his hair cut, they had divided upon the subject, and
so he had only been allowed to have _half_ of it cut, and as the long
half had by this time grown very long indeed, he certainly did look
rather remarkable; that was no excuse though for the street boys'
rudeness, and his Majesty very wisely took no notice of them. A. Fish,
Esq., came in for the greatest amount of attention, and when a few
drops of rain began to fall, and he put up an umbrella for fear that
he should get wet, the crowd became so excited that the Doctor-in-Law
wisely suggested that a return sh
|