he
Marshal was anxious to celebrate the occasion by challenging his Royal
Master to play him a single, a challenge which was conveyed through the
Crown Prince.

"Well, what do _you_ think, my boy," asked King Sidney. "Can I beat
him?"

"I think you ought to, Guv'nor. He fancies himself at it--but he's
pretty rotten."

"In that case, you can tell him I accept," said the King.

But on the morning before the day, Clarence, after watching his parent
top and slice and foozle through a whole round without intermission,
became less sanguine.

"I tell you what it is, Guv'nor," he said, frankly, "the Marshal's been
shaping a bit better these last few days, and it's my belief he can give
you a stroke a hole and win easy."

"After all," said the King, "I'm not sure there isn't a certain loss of
dignity--playing with my own subject, don't you know."

"It won't do to let him lick you, certainly," agreed Clarence.

"Quite so, my boy, quite so. I was thinking--I might be prevented by
sudden business--I could go and sit with the Council, you know."

"He'd only want you to fix another day for playing him. It's no use,
Guv'nor, you can't get out of it now. Perhaps you'd do better if you
played with a different sort of ball. I must see if I can't get you one
or two."

And that evening he brought his father half a dozen. "They're specially
marked," he said, "so you can't make a mistake over them, and I fancy
you'll find they travel better than any of the Marshal's."

"You've got those golf balls I gave you?" he asked the King at breakfast
next morning. "Mind you don't forget to take 'em."

"I shan't forget, my boy. But what I'm most troubled about is my
swing--there's something wrong with it, only I can't find out what."

"I think it a great pity myself," said Queen Selina, "that you ever
agreed to play this match at all. If you are beaten it will certainly
lower your prestige. But I am sure the dear Marshal has too much tact
not to let you win."

"Don't you worry, Mater," said Clarence. "The Guv'nor's going to win on
his own, hands down!"

"I sincerely hope so. It will be a sad blow to the Throne if he does
_not_."

These remarks did not help much to steady King Sidney's nerves when he
met the Marshal on the links, where, as Monarch, he naturally had the
honour. A large crowd of onlookers from the Court had collected, and the
players had decided to dispense with caddies under the circumstances.

The first hole was o