Stories Oct, 2013 | Page 62

"Then you shouldn't have promised." "Lootie, I promised him a kiss." "Your royal Highness," said Lootie, suddenly growing very respectful, "must come in directly." "Nurse, a princess must _not_ break her word," said Irene, drawing herself up and standing stockstill. Lootie did not know which the king might count the worst--to let the princess be out after sunset, or to let her kiss a miner-boy. She did not know that, being a gentleman, as many kings have been, he would have counted neither of them the worse. However much he might have disliked his daughter to kiss the miner-boy, he would not have had her break her word for all the goblins in creation. But, as I say, the nurse was not lady enough to understand this, and so she was in a great difficulty, for, if she insisted, some one might hear the princess cry and run to see, and then all would come out. But here Curdie came again to the rescue. Madhuri Noah C:\Users\MNoah\Documents\The Princess and the Goblin1.docx Page 61 of 634