"But you insisted on coming to the place." Betty was almost taken off her feet! A princess and a duchess! So her third courtesy was nearly to the floor, as she asked:-- "What will your Highness and your Grace have to eat ?" "A barrel of oysters, a lobster broiled--make it two lobsters--a dish of raw turnips, with oil, vinegar, and pepper, a bottle of canary, a bit of cheese, and a pot of tea.

But Lord! I suppose you never heard of tea! It's a new drink, child, recently brought from China." "Yes, your Highness," answered Betty, very proud that the Old Swan could furnish so new a beverage.

"We have some excellent tea of my father's own importation." "Then fetch it, and in God's name, be quick about it! Doubtless you could be quick enough in running after a man!" said Nelly.
"In running away from him if I wanted to catch him," answered Betty, casting down her eyes demurely, as she courtesied and left to give the order in the kitchen.
Nelly's love of fun brought trouble before the dinner was over.
When Betty left her guests, she went to her father in the tap-room and told him that a princess and a duchess had honored his house, whereupon Pickering began to swell with pride.

As friends dropped in from time to time, he informed them that a princess and a duchess were waiting for their dinner in the small dining room, and followed up the extraordinary announcement in each case by asking proudly:-- "Show me another tavern this side of Westminster that entertains guests of like rank.

If they were to drop into the Dog's Head, old Robbins would _drop_ dead.