fearful faces at the poor King.
This young lady loves you with an H, the King said, introducing Alice
in the hope of turning off the Messenger s attention from himself but
it was no use the Anglo-Saxon attitudes only got more extraordinary
every moment, while the great eyes rolled wildly from side to side.
You alarm me! said the King. I feel faint Give me a ham sandwich!
On which the Messenger, to Alice s great amusement, opened a bag that
hung round his neck, and handed a sandwich to the King, who devoured it
greedily.
Another sandwich! said the King.
There s nothing but hay left now, the Messenger said, peeping into
the bag.
Hay, then, the King murmured in a faint whisper.
Alice was glad to see that it revived him a good deal. There s nothing
like eating hay when you re faint, he remarked to her, as he munched
away.
I should think throwing cold water over you would be better, Alice
suggested: or some sal-volatile.
I didn t say there was nothing _better_, the King replied. I said
there was nothing _like_ it. Which Alice did not venture to deny.
Who did you pass on the road? the King went on, holding out his hand
to the Messenger for some more hay.
Nobody, said the Messenger.
Quite right, said the King: this young lady saw him too. So of
course Nobody walks slower than you.
I do my best, the Messenger said in a sulky tone. I m sure nobody
walks much faster than I do!
66