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Because everyone is an Algy fan at heart, whether they know it or not.
"Never mind about that; where the dickens have you been all this time?" growled Algy. "I've been frizzling here like a herring in a pan for the last two blinking days. I was just beginning to think that the Huns must have shot you."
I always thought this was funny - and it always makes me wonder what Biggles said to the princess about Algy!
ReplyDeleteI think he just said that Algy would come to get him, if at all possible. Repeatedly. Without describing Algy.
ReplyDeleteI find it funny (as in strange, not as in haha funny) that Biggles spoke to the princess of Algy and referred to him as "the Honorable Lacey" and not as "my friend Algy". How many times in the books has Biggles ever used the word "Honorable" to describe Algy, anyway? Why suddenly bring it up?
ReplyDeleteI presumed that Biggles said 'Algy', the princess said 'Who's Algy?' and Biggles gave an explanation.
ReplyDeleteHe refers to him by name, title and address in Flies Again, but not particularly politely.
I doubt that Biggles mentioned the "Honorable" bit more than once--he probably spent more time on Algy's loyalty and good humor and all the rest of it.
ReplyDeleteStrange then that the princess latched straight onto the title and only remembered that when confronting Bertie. She could just as easily have said, "You aren't Algy, by any chance, are you?"
Politeness. It was all Mr and Mrs in those days: no referring to people by their first names. It would have been very impolite to have called Algy 'Algy' without being introduced. She's a princess. She knows all about formality and etiquette.
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