Her majesty is coming. When I tell you, you walk aft, bow
to her and get over the side and do your work.'
The crowd on board obstructed my view so that I could not see the Queen
come aboard. In a moment the Captain returned from the gang-way where
he had been to receive her, and said:
'Walk right aft. Her Majesty is waiting for you.'
I might as well confess to you that my idea of a Queen had been formed
by seeing the play of Hamlet, where the Queen of Denmark comes on the
stage with long white fur robe, covered with pieces of cat's tails and a
crown on her head. I certainly did not think that the Queen of England
would dress in this exact way, but I thought she would have something to
distinguish her from the coterie of ladies that surrounded her on
deck. So I walked aft, paddle in one hand, rubber bag in the other and
dressed in my suit. I came to a group of ladies, a little separate,
around whom bare headed courtiers stood and was about to pay homage to a
fine, grandly dressed maid of honor, when turning around I observed
the face of the Queen which was made familiar by the thousands of
photographs, which grace the windows in nearly every store in London.
She is a stout, motherly woman, more plainly dressed than any one
around her.
Pages:
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248