I have been trying to cultivate your family tree, every branch of which is known to me, and I expect Curdie to turn out a blossom on it.

Therefore I have been training him for a work that must soon be done.

I was near losing him, and had to send my pigeon.

Had he not shot it, that would have been better; but he repented, and that shall be as good in the end.' She turned to Curdie and smiled.
'Ma'am,' said Curdie, 'may I ask questions ?' 'Why not, Curdie ?' 'Because I have been told, ma'am, that nobody must ask the king questions.' 'The king never made that law,' she answered, with some displeasure.
'You may ask me as many as you please--that is, so long as they are sensible.

Only I may take a few thousand years to answer some of them.
But that's nothing.