going on. The only quiet place in it was the room which, though the
Prince was six weeks old, his mother the Queen had never quitted. Nobody
said she was ill, however--it would have been so inconvenient; and as
she said nothing about it herself, but lay pale and placid, giving no
trouble to anybody, nobody thought much about her. All the world was
absorbed in admiring the baby.

The christening-day came at last, and it was as lovely as the Prince
himself. All the people in the palace were lovely too--or thought
themselves so--in the elegant new clothes which the Queen, who thought
of everybody, had taken care to give them, from the ladies-in-waiting
down to the poor little kitchen-maid, who looked at herself in her pink
cotton gown, and thought, doubtless, that there never was such a pretty
girl as she.

By six in the morning all the royal household had dressed itself in
its very best; and then the little Prince was dressed in his best--his
magnificent christening robe; which proceeding his Royal Highness did
not like at all, but kicked and screamed like any common baby. When he
had a little calmed down, they carried him to be looked at by the Queen
his mother, who, though her royal robes had been brought and laid upon
the bed, was, as everybody well knew, quite unable to rise and put them
on.

She admired her baby very much; kissed and blessed him, and lay looking
at him, as she did for hours sometimes, when he was placed beside her
fast asleep; then she gave him up with a gentle smile, and, saying she
hoped he would be very good, that it would be a very nice christening,
and all the guests would enjoy themselves, turned peacefully over on
her bed, saying nothing more to anybody. She was a very uncomplaining