← he came trotting along in a great hurry, muttering to himself as he came, ‘Oh! the Duchess, the Duchess! 🔊
← The Fish-Footman began by producing from under his arm a great letter, nearly as large as himself, and this he handed over to the other, saying, in a solemn tone, ‘For the Duchess. 🔊
← and he checked himself suddenly: the others looked round also, and all of them bowed low. 🔊
← He looked anxiously over his shoulder as he spoke, and then raised himself upon tiptoe, put his mouth close to her ear, and whispered ‘She’s under sentence of execution.’ 🔊
← ‘Unimportant, of course, I meant,’ the King hastily said, and went on to himself in an undertone, ‘important--unimportant--unimportant--important--’ as if he were trying which word sounded best. 🔊
← ‘All right, so far,’ said the King, and he went on muttering over the verses to himself: 🔊