quite useless."

Why she should have taken this so personally--whether she thought
he was alluding to her Narcissus-like complexion, or her wealth of
luminous hair--I cannot say. At any rate--though I would not have it
even whispered to poor little JIM, who, being far from well, had been
quite unable to leave his sofa,--I say, at any rate, I, for one, felt
convinced that the Princess had taken quite as much kümmel as was good
for her, otherwise, how could any one, except my old friend ALICE DE
VONDERLAND account for her urging the Three Men, already far gone, to
go still farther, and to "Protect her honour," as she termed it, "by
wiping out the insult offered to the NAPRAXINES!"

The Three Men took the suggestion literally. A wild scene ensued.
Shouting wildly, "We'll spoil your beauty for you!" one tore the
flower out of DORIAN's coat, another threw the red copper bowl
of rose-water at his head, a third, with the uncommonly vulgar
exclamation, "Art be blowed! we'll show you some science!" struck the
unfortunate man a violent blow on the nose with his clenched fist.

How the scene might have ended but for the sudden intervention of
MULVANEY and his companions, I cannot say. In the strangest dialect,
and with the most uncouth oaths, they literally "went for" the Three
Boating Men. The aquatic champions were completely demolished by the
Soldiers Three.

In the words of the butler, "Their shirt-fronts were crumpled 'orrid."
The three youths, in a pitiable state, left the house with the
Princess, and went off all together in a droschki, the driver of which
wore a badge on which was inscribed, "JOSEF HATTONSKI. By Order of the