But her Royal Highness's ladies-of-the-bed-chamber who were in waiting
set up such screams of horror at her remark, that it was a wonder that
the Princess did not awake directly.
"O-h!" cried a lady-of-the-bed-chamber, "put her Royal Highness to
bed, in defiance of all etiquette, before the Prima Donna of the court
has sung her lullaby! Preposterous! Lift her out without waking her,
indeed! This nurse should be dismissed from the court!"
"O-h!" cried another lady, tossing her lovely head scornfully, and
giving her silken train an indignant swish; "the idea of putting her
Royal Highness to bed without the silver cup of posset, which I have
here for her!"
"And without taking her rose-water bath!" cried another, who was
dabbling her lily fingers in a little ivory bath filled with
rose-water.
"And without being anointed with this Cream of Lilies!" cried one with
a little ivory jar in her hand.
"And without having every single one of her golden ringlets dressed
with this pomade scented with violets and almonds!" cried one with a
round porcelain box.
"Or even having her curls brushed!" cried a lady as if she were
fainting, and she brandished an ivory hair-brush set with turquoises.
"I suppose," remarked a lady who was very tall and majestic in her
carriage, "that this nurse would not object to her Royal Highness
being put to bed without--her nightgown, even!"
And she held out the Princess's little embroidered nightgown, and
gazed at the Head-nurse with an awful air.
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