"Before anything will induce me to say 'yes,'" concluded Charlotte.
And then, as though that finished the matter, and as though her own naughty doings were of no further interest, she cried: "And now tell me about the bomb!" And the Queen, who still liked to dwell upon that episode of sights, sounds, and sensations, strangely mingled and triumphantly concluded by a popular ovation such as she had never met with in her life before, started off at once on a detailed narrative, corrected now and then by the King's more sober commentary, and aided by the eager questions of her daughter, who sat in close and fond contact with both of them, mopping her eyes alternately with her mother's handkerchief and her own.
"Oh! why wasn't I there?" she cried incautiously, when word came of the great popular reception crowning all.
"Ah! why weren't you?" inquired the King waggishly. And when he had made that little joke at her, Charlotte knew that all her naughty goings off and goings on were comfortably forgiven and done with.
"But you know, papa," she said later, when for the first time they were alone together, "I have found out quite a lot of things that _you_ know nothing about: quite dreadful things! And they are going on behind your back, and women are being put into prison for it."
All this was said very excitedly, and with great earnestness and conviction.
"My dear," said the King, "it's no use your talking about those Women Chartists to me."
"I am. I signed on. I couldn't have gone to prison for them if I hadn't."
"Do any of them know who you are?" cried the King, aghast. It was a disturbing thought, for what a power it would be in their hands, and he had always heard how unscrupulous they were.
"Only one or two," declared Charlotte, "and they won't tell unless I tell them to. They are wonderful people, papa!"
The King sighed; for the very name of them had become a weariness to him. The whole agitation, with its dim confused scufflings against law and order, and its demonstrations idiotically recurring at the most inopportune moments, had profoundly vexed him. Years ago he had received the bland assurance of his ministers that the whole thing would soon die down and cease; but it was still going on, and was now taking to itself worse forms than ever.