gazing up into the roof of the court.

  `What do you know about this business?' the King said to

Alice.

  `Nothing,' said Alice.

  `Nothing WHATEVER?' persisted the King.

  `Nothing whatever,' said Alice.

  `That's very important,' the King said, turning to the jury.

They were just beginning to write this down on their slates, when

the White Rabbit interrupted:  `UNimportant, your Majesty means,

of course,' he said in a very respectful tone, but frowning and

making faces at him as he spoke.

  `UNimportant, of course, I meant,' the King hastily said, and

went on to himself in an undertone, `important--unimportant--

unimportant--important--' as if he were trying which word

sounded best.

  Some of the jury wrote it down `important,' and some

`unimportant.'  Alice could see this, as she was near enough to

look over their slates; `but it doesn't matter a bit,' she

thought to herself.

  At this moment the King, who had been for some time busily

writing in his note-book, cackled out `Silence!' and read out

from his book, `Rule Forty-two.  ALL PERSONS MORE THAN A MILE

HIGH TO LEAVE THE COURT.'

  Everybody looked at Alice.

  `I'M not a mile high,' said Alice.

  `You are,' said the King.

  `Nearly two miles high,' added the Queen.

  `Well, I shan't go, at any rate,' said Alice:  `besides,

that's not a regular rule:  you invented it just now.'

  `It's the oldest rule in the book,' said the King.

  `Then it ought to be Number One,' said Alice.

  The King turned pale, and shut his note-book hastily.

`Consider your verdict,' he said to the jury, in a low, trembling

voice.

  `There's more evidence to come yet, please your Majesty,' said

the White Rabbit, jumping up in a great hurry; `this paper has

just been picked up.'

  `What's in it?' said the Queen.

  `I haven't opened it yet,' said the White Rabbit, `but it seems

to be a letter, written by the prisoner to--to somebody.'

  `It must have been that,' said the King, `unless it was

written to nobody, which isn't usual, you know.'

  `Who is it directed to?' said one of the jurymen.

  `It isn't directed at all,' said the White Rabbit; `in fact,

there's nothing written on the OUTSIDE.'  He unfolded the paper

as he spoke, and added `It isn't a letter, after all:  it's a set ()