We boys did not say anything.

We stood at the window and looked out till the gong went for our dinner.

We felt it was going to be awful--and it was.

The newcomers would never have done for knight-errants, or to carry the Cardinal's sealed message through the heart of France on a horse; they would never have thought of anything to say to throw the enemy off the scent when they got into a tight place.
They said 'Yes, please', and 'No, thank you'; and they ate very neatly, and always wiped their mouths before they drank, as well as after, and never spoke with them full.
And after dinner it got worse and worse.
We got out all our books and they said 'Thank you', and didn't look at them properly.

And we got out all our toys, and they said 'Thank you, it's very nice' to everything.