footman bowed, again mounted his box, folded the tails of his coat under and drove clippety-clop-clop-clop back again.
But hardly had he unharnessed the horses before a great procession began to wind into the street—why, one would have thought 'twas a pageant or a carnival day from its length and brilliance! The King's coach led off and after it came all the other court equipages. And surely something wonderfully comical had happened, for the silken-clad Ladies and Gentlemen lay back on their pillows, convulsed with merriment. The loud "Ha—ha's" and general confusion brought Jerry to the window and, seeing they were headed in his direction, he bade his footman open the doors, after which he returned to the blacksmith whom he chanced to be fitting.
What next occurred you will scarce believe but, upon my word, 'tis true. Tumbling from their carriages in most unroyal fashion the King and the Courtiers rushed into Jerry's shop each waving the pink bills they had received from Jerry. Knocking over chairs and jostling the workers they pushed forward, and at a signal from My Lord of Toppertush, who stood on a chair the better to be seen, each tore his pink bill into a thousand bits so that the pieces came fluttering down upon Jerry in a regular pink snow storm.
"Scissors and shears—
Ruffles and frills—
A fig for all tailors,
A fig for their bills!"
crackled old Toppertush delightedly, and before Jerry could raise a finger they had swept out of the shop.
But in almost no time Jerry had recovered and began calling orders in such a rate that everyone was on the jump to keep up with them. And all the while he was working he was saying over and over—"Did she come to mock me—or did she not? Did she come to mock me—or did she not?" And the Princess, who had gone as she declared to her Ladies, "to put that wretched tailor in his place," was walking up and down her golden salon wringing her hands.
