Принц і жебрак
Coronation Day
Allthecompanywonderedatthisspeech,andwonderedstillmoretoseethelittlemendicantpickoutthispeerwithouthesitancyorapparentfearofmistake,andcallhimbynamewithsuchaplacidlyconvincingairofhavingknownhimallhislife.Thepeerwasalmostsurprisedintoobeying.Heevenmadeamovementasiftogo,butquicklyrecoveredhistranquilattitudeandconfessedhisblunderwithablush.TomCantyturneduponhimandsaid,sharply—
"Whydostthouhesitate?HastnotheardtheKing’scommand?Go!"
TheLordSt.Johnmadeadeepobeisance—anditwasobservedthatitwasasignificantlycautiousandnon-committalone,itnotbeingdeliveredateitherofthekings,butattheneutralgroundabouthalf-waybetweenthetwo—andtookhisleave.
Nowbeganamovementofthegorgeousparticlesofthatofficialgroupwhichwasslow,scarcelyperceptible,andyetsteadyandpersistent—amovementsuchasisobservedinakaleidoscopethatisturnedslowly,wherebythecomponentsofonesplendidclusterfallawayandjointhemselvestoanother—amovementwhich,littlebylittle,inthepresentcase,dissolvedtheglitteringcrowdthatstoodaboutTomCantyandclusteredittogetheragainintheneighbourhoodofthenew-comer.TomCantystoodalmostalone.Nowensuedabriefseasonofdeepsuspenseandwaiting—duringwhicheventhefewfaintheartsstillremainingnearTomCantygraduallyscrapedtogethercourageenoughtoglide,onebyone,overtothemajority.
