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Lord Byron took in Charlotte and E, sleepy, wolfish eyes

“She walks in beauty like the night, of cloudless climes and starry skies—”

E Byron looked quite hurt, and quite like a kicked dog

“Oh, I a a little as she tried to laugh in her corset “But it’s too good! It’s perfect!”

Emily remembered to put up her fan at the last reat man She wondered suddenly if that’s what fans were always used for “It’s only that you would quote yourself, you know,” she giggled helplessly “It’s just all over you But thank you kindly, we are rather nice-looking!”

Crashey hurried them away from the stricken look on Lord Byron’s face After a moment, the poet called after them:

“You knoork?”

But they were already on to a new throng

“Now the short bluestone fellowe, but he’s only King George today, you see On other days of the week he fancies himself a crawfish, an oyster, a heather flower, a blue flame, and a soldier called Captain Flower Mad as a carpet, that one But best call hiing! I once had an uncle who thought he was a cricket bat, and I’ve got the paddle-marks to prove it”

“Who is King if not hi to ask that it had completely escaped her mind until now

Crashey stroked the faint beard lines etched into his pine chin “Well, that is the questionoriuo strictly by bloodgeniture But after the first Boneyonic War, Adrian’s Papa go

t himself slapped down Kicked out Deposdicated”

“The first BoneyonicNapoleonic War?” Emily interrupted Of course there had been two of them at home, as well, she supposed

Sergeant Crashey nicked a biscuit fro around the crumbs “Yeah, love, look, it’s been a fiery mess around here for an eon and a half, but that’s history, innit? I daresay yours don’t look any better after a rough night So then we had Parlia the place from Greenhall in Verdopolis, until all the badtacular business with Gondal started up again That’s when Miss Zenobia’s brother, Lord Elrington, rode in on a rhinoceros and told theue! When he marries her, he’ll be the richest ets around to it But then Elrington diedinated himself with no babies, so, this, that, and the other far too co barn doors or summat: It’s meant to be little Victoria now She had brothers, but they all got killed by frogs back in the Ugly Ages before we inventixperi and Gravey callstea But no one’s had a peep out of Vicks since she were ’napped in her nappies Anyway, it’d be dash hard to rule froot reared up by who-knoho So technicalliwise, it’s Vickie’s Papa, the Duke of Can’t, but he’s only a Regent I’ll bet you can i” Crashey put on a reedy, aristocratic voice “Terribly sorry, I just can’t run the kingdoo where! I just can’t wipeho, ho, ho!”

The Sergeant stopped them, and his history lesson, beside a tall lady with only one leg, clad all in the brightest blue daeosity! This fetching young s” Crashey seehera sensitive matter?”