Dick had no answer ready , so he only grumbled : `` You 're always preaching at me , Jack ; everybody always is . I seem to have been born just to be preached at . '' Some people are ; and it does grow rather tedious in the long run . But perhaps what Jaqueline said may have made some impression on Ricardo , for he stuck to his books for weeks , and was got into decimal fractions and Euclid . All this , of course , pleased the king very much , and he began to entertain hopes of Ricardo 's becoming a wise and learned prince , and a credit to his illustrious family . Things were not always to go smoothly , far from it ; and it was poor Jaqueline who fell into trouble next . She had been very ready to lecture Dick , as we saw , and took a good deal of credit to herself for his steadiness . But one day King Prigio happened to meet Jaqueline 's maid , Rosina , on the stairs ; and as Rosina was a pretty girl , and the king was always kind to his dependents , he stopped to have a chat with her . `` Why , Rosina , what a pretty little silver cross you are wearing , '' he said , and he lifted a curious ornament which hung from a chain on Rosina 's neck . It consisted of seven drops of silver , set like this : -LCB- The drops : p72.jpg -RCB- `` May I look at it ? '' his Majesty asked , and Rosina , all in a flutter , took it off and gave if to him . `` H 'm ! '' said the king . `` Very curious and pretty ! May I ask you where you got this , Rosina ? '' -LCB- `` H 'm ! '' said the king . `` Very curious and pretty ! '' : p73.jpg -RCB- Now Rosina generally had her answer ready , and I am very sorry to say that she did not always speak the truth when she could think of anything better . On this occasion she was anxious to think of something better , for fear of getting Jaqueline into a scrape about the chemical experiment in her bedroom .
But Rosina was fluttered , as we said , by the royal kindness , and she could XXXXX of nothing but to curtsy , and say : `` Please , your Majesty , the princess gave me the drops . ''
born hung lifted look made preaching seem set stuck think