t and Baum let down the carriage steps for them.
Mademoiselle Kramer, who was the first to enter, held the child until
Walpurga had seated herself. Baum jumped up behind and took his place
beside the second lackey; the four horses stepped out and the carriage
started.

"Are we driving?" asked Walpurga.

"Certainly."

"It seems like flying. I can't hear the least rumbling of the wheels."

"Of course you can't. The tires are covered with india-rubber."

"And so they wear cloth shoes just as we do when we walk on smooth
floors. Oh, how clever they all are here. Out yonder, they don't know a
thing. They live just like cattle; the only difference is they don't
eat grass--but what's the matter?" said she, starting with fright.
"They're beating the drums and the soldiers are rushing toward us. Is
there a fire somewhere?"

"That's on our account. The guard always present arms when a member of
the royal family passes by--watch them. They're presenting arms and
after we've passed they'll lay their muskets aside and return to the
guardroom. Their regiment is known as the crown prince's, for it
belongs to him."

"And so he'll have live soldiers to play with when he grows up."

Mademoiselle Kramer showed all the self-command befitting one who could
boast of a line of sixteen ancestors. A slight start and an odd,
nervous twitching of the features, as if suppressing a yawn, were the
only visible effects of Walpurga's words. But of laughter there was not
a sign. An upper servant of the right sort must hear and see all that
is going on, and yet stand by as if he were no more than the table or
plate that can be moved about at will; and although Walpurga was not
her superior, it would not do to laugh at her, for she was nurse to his
royal highness the crown prince. Mademoiselle Kramer therefore
refrained from laughing, and, as if to evade answering, merely said:
"When we pass the guard on our way home, the same thing will happen
again."

"And may I ask what's the good of it all?"

"Certainly; there is a good reason for everything, and this serves to
accustom the people, and especially the soldiers, to show proper
respect to their superiors."

"But our prince don't know anything of that."

"We must show our respect for him, even though he know nothing of it;
and now let me tell you something which it would be well for you to
know. Whenever you speak or think of their majesties, the king and
queen, let it be as 'his majesty'