She believed the fact that she could not otherwise convince her she was telling the truth would have much weight with her grandmother.
The princess and her nurse were the best of friends all dressing-time, and the princess in consequence ate an enormous little breakfast.
'I wonder, Lootie'-- that was her pet name for her nurse--'what pigeons' eggs taste like ?' she said, as she was eating her egg--not quite a common one, for they always picked out the pinky ones for her.
'We'll get you a pigeon's egg, and you shall judge for yourself,' said the nurse.
'Oh, no, no!' returned Irene, suddenly reflecting they might disturb the old lady in getting it, and that even if they did not, she would have one less in consequence.
'What a strange creature you are,' said the nurse--'first to want a thing and then to refuse it!' But she did not say it crossly, and the princess never minded any remarks that were not unfriendly.
'Well, you see, Lootie, there are reasons,' she returned, and said no more, for she did not want to bring up the subject of their former strife, lest her nurse should offer to go before she had had her grandmother's permission to bring her.

Of course she could refuse to take her, but then she would believe her less than ever.
Now the nurse, as she said herself afterwards, could not be every moment in the room; and as never before yesterday had the princess given her the smallest reason for anxiety, it had not yet come into her head to watch her more closely.

So she soon gave her a chance, and, the very first that offered, Irene was off and up the stairs again.
This day's adventure, however, did not turn out like yesterday's, although it began like it; and indeed to-day is very seldom like yesterday, if people would note the differences--even when it rains.
The princess ran through passage after passage, and could not find the stair of the tower.

My own suspicion is that she had not gone up high enough, and was searching on the second instead of the third floor.
When she turned to go back, she failed equally in her search after the stair.

She was lost once more.
Something made it even worse to bear this time, and it was no wonder that she cried again.