do. You’re not a Prince, so don’t try and act like one. It only makes you ridiculous.’
Gus drew himself up to his last inch. He threw back his hair once more. ‘I am a Prince!’ he said, dramatically. ‘I am the Prince Aloysius Gramondie Racemolie Torquinel of Tauri-Hessia!’
Chapter 8
BILL EXPLAINS
There was a dead silence after this dramatic announcement. Nobody said a word, not even Kiki. They all stared in astonishment at Gus, not knowing whether to believe a word of what he had said.
Then his lips began to shake, and he tried to press them together firmly. Lucy-Ann was sure he wanted to cry again!
‘I have broke my word!’ suddenly wailed Gus. ‘I am a Prince and I have broke my word!’
A voice came from behind them. It was Bill’s.
‘Yes, you have broken your word, Aloysius Gramondie Racemolie Torquinel. And your uncle told me you would never do that. How am I to keep you safe if you break your word?’
Bill came forward, his face stern. Everyone stared at him in alarm. Whatever was up?
‘Bill—he’s not really a Prince, is he?’ said Jack.
‘Believe it or not, he is,’ said Bill. ‘His uncle is the King of Tauri-Hessia.’
‘Well! That explains his peculiar behaviour,’ said Dinah. ‘His ordering people about—and his high-and-mighty airs—and all his money and boasting.’
‘And his long hair too,’ said Bill. ‘The Princes in his country never have their hair cut short as ours do. They wear it a certain length, as you see. It’s bad luck on him, really, because he gets teased. Still, the boys at his school knew who he was and knew he couldn’t help it, and he didn’t have too bad a time.’
There was a pause while the four took a look at Prince Aloysius. He shook back his hair and Dinah groaned.
‘I wish you wouldn’t do that, Gussy. I can’t call you Ally—Ally-something or other. You’ll have to go on being Gussy.’
‘Oh, he must,’ said Bill, at once. ‘I gave him the name of Gustavus Barmilevo for a special reason. Things—rather serious things—are happening in his country at the moment, and it’s essential that he should go under another name here.’
‘What serious things are happening?’ said Jack. ‘Revolts or something?’
‘Well, I’ll tell you,’ said Bill. ‘His uncle is King, and as he has no children, Gussy is the heir to the throne. Now there are certain people in Tauri-Hessia who don’t like his uncle or the firm way in which he governs the country. Incidentally he governs it very well, and our own Government think him a very sound ruler.’
‘I can guess what’s coming,’ said Jack. ‘Those who don’t like the strong uncle think it would be a good thing to get a weak youngster, who’ll have to do what they tell him, and put him on the throne. Then they can do as they like!’
‘Exactly,’ said Bill. ‘And so they are on the look-out for Gussy here. If they can get hold of him and put him on the throne, he will have to do exactly what he’s told. His uncle will be imprisoned or killed.’
‘And Gussy knows all this, does he?’ asked Philip.
‘He knows all right!’ said Bill. ‘Everything was explained to him. He’s fond of his uncle; he doesn’t want to be used as a kind of pawn by his uncle’s enemies—and so he was put in my keeping, and told to be merely a foreign schoolboy called Gustavus. And here he is.’
‘I have broke my word to you,’ said Gussy, sounding very doleful. ‘Mr. Bill, I ask you to pardon me.’
‘Well, don’t do it again, that’s all,’ said Bill. ‘Nobody here is likely to give you away, fortunately—we are all your friends—or would like to be if only you’d behave yourself a bit better.’
‘I behave better at once immediately,’ said Gussy, emphatically.
‘Hm. Well, we’ll see,’ said Bill, drily. ‘It would help considerably if you could try to behave like the others so that if any stranger comes hanging round he’ll think you are an ordinary
Gus drew himself up to his last inch. He threw back his hair once more. ‘I am a Prince!’ he said, dramatically. ‘I am the Prince Aloysius Gramondie Racemolie Torquinel of Tauri-Hessia!’
Chapter 8
BILL EXPLAINS
There was a dead silence after this dramatic announcement. Nobody said a word, not even Kiki. They all stared in astonishment at Gus, not knowing whether to believe a word of what he had said.
Then his lips began to shake, and he tried to press them together firmly. Lucy-Ann was sure he wanted to cry again!
‘I have broke my word!’ suddenly wailed Gus. ‘I am a Prince and I have broke my word!’
A voice came from behind them. It was Bill’s.
‘Yes, you have broken your word, Aloysius Gramondie Racemolie Torquinel. And your uncle told me you would never do that. How am I to keep you safe if you break your word?’
Bill came forward, his face stern. Everyone stared at him in alarm. Whatever was up?
‘Bill—he’s not really a Prince, is he?’ said Jack.
‘Believe it or not, he is,’ said Bill. ‘His uncle is the King of Tauri-Hessia.’
‘Well! That explains his peculiar behaviour,’ said Dinah. ‘His ordering people about—and his high-and-mighty airs—and all his money and boasting.’
‘And his long hair too,’ said Bill. ‘The Princes in his country never have their hair cut short as ours do. They wear it a certain length, as you see. It’s bad luck on him, really, because he gets teased. Still, the boys at his school knew who he was and knew he couldn’t help it, and he didn’t have too bad a time.’
There was a pause while the four took a look at Prince Aloysius. He shook back his hair and Dinah groaned.
‘I wish you wouldn’t do that, Gussy. I can’t call you Ally—Ally-something or other. You’ll have to go on being Gussy.’
‘Oh, he must,’ said Bill, at once. ‘I gave him the name of Gustavus Barmilevo for a special reason. Things—rather serious things—are happening in his country at the moment, and it’s essential that he should go under another name here.’
‘What serious things are happening?’ said Jack. ‘Revolts or something?’
‘Well, I’ll tell you,’ said Bill. ‘His uncle is King, and as he has no children, Gussy is the heir to the throne. Now there are certain people in Tauri-Hessia who don’t like his uncle or the firm way in which he governs the country. Incidentally he governs it very well, and our own Government think him a very sound ruler.’
‘I can guess what’s coming,’ said Jack. ‘Those who don’t like the strong uncle think it would be a good thing to get a weak youngster, who’ll have to do what they tell him, and put him on the throne. Then they can do as they like!’
‘Exactly,’ said Bill. ‘And so they are on the look-out for Gussy here. If they can get hold of him and put him on the throne, he will have to do exactly what he’s told. His uncle will be imprisoned or killed.’
‘And Gussy knows all this, does he?’ asked Philip.
‘He knows all right!’ said Bill. ‘Everything was explained to him. He’s fond of his uncle; he doesn’t want to be used as a kind of pawn by his uncle’s enemies—and so he was put in my keeping, and told to be merely a foreign schoolboy called Gustavus. And here he is.’
‘I have broke my word to you,’ said Gussy, sounding very doleful. ‘Mr. Bill, I ask you to pardon me.’
‘Well, don’t do it again, that’s all,’ said Bill. ‘Nobody here is likely to give you away, fortunately—we are all your friends—or would like to be if only you’d behave yourself a bit better.’
‘I behave better at once immediately,’ said Gussy, emphatically.
‘Hm. Well, we’ll see,’ said Bill, drily. ‘It would help considerably if you could try to behave like the others so that if any stranger comes hanging round he’ll think you are an ordinary
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