Did you
ever hear of the rack, Mr. Dove? but perhaps you had better not know.
Yes, I'll always keep my word, the word that I promised, and no one
shall ever know about you and me and the sticky sweetmeats; but I
won't keep the word that I didn't promise. You remember how you wanted
me to give you another word that I'd always stay here, and keep
Primrose and Jasmine here, instead of letting them go and going with
them to the Palace Beautiful. I almost promised you, for you looked so
fierce, and your eyes were so bloodshot, and cruel, and terrible, and
I'd great work to keep remembering that you were really my friend; but
I'm so glad I did not give you that word too, for now I know that I'd
have done very wrong. A Prince has come to me, Mr. Dove, and told me I
am very selfish to try to keep my sisters out of the Palace Beautiful.
He says the walls are covered with Goodness and the furniture is put
there by Self-Denial, and the windows are shining because Love has
polished them up. He says there's no Love and no Goodness here, and he
calls your rooms dungeons. He's a very, very strong Prince, and he
kills ogres--he even kills ogres who are friends to little girls.
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