Pagina 155 di 167

As soon as the jury had a little recovered from the shock of

being upset, and their slates and pencils had been found and

handed back to them, they set to work very diligently to write

out a history of the accident, all except the Lizard, who seemed

too much overcome to do anything but sit with its mouth open,

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.