Fiction > Book editions > London, 1885 - Prince Otto

30 PRINCE OTTO
food SO bedevilled by unskilful cookery that no
one could be brought to eat the pudding ? That
is me, my dear. I am full of good ingredients,
but the dish is worthless. I am — I give it you
in one word — sugar in the salad.'
' Well, I don't care, you're good,' reiterated
Ottilia, a little flushed by having failed to under-
stand.
' I will tell you one thing,' replied Otto : ' You
are !'
' Ah, well, that's what they all said of you,'
moralised the girl ; ' such a tongue to come
round — such a flattering tongue ! '
' 0, you forget, I am a man of middle age,'
the Prince chuckled.
' Well, to speak to you, I should think you
was a boy ; and Prince or no Prince, if you came
worrying where I was cooking, I would pin a
napkin to your tails. . . . And, Lord, I de-
clare I hope your Highness will forgive me,'
the girl added. ' I can't keep it in my mind.'
'No more can I,' cried Otto. ' That is just
wdiat they complain of ! '
They made a loverly -looking couple ; only
the heavy pouring of that horse-tail of water
made them raise their voices above lovers' pitch.
But to a jealous onlooker from above, their
mirth and close proximity might easily give
umbrai?e ; and a rough voice out of a tuft of