Prince, still powerful, and now seriously annoyed,
might be leagued against her.

Yet she composed.

And what is she writing? She is entering for the competition in
connection with the Encouragement of Literature Scheme: the last
scheme which the Princess had signed.

I like to think of her peacefully writing at a time when her whole
future hung in the balance. Roger sneers at her. "Even now," he
says, "she was hoping to wring a last bag-full of gold from her
wretched country." I deny emphatically that she was doing anything of
the sort. She was entering for a duly authorised competition under
the pen-name of Charlotte Patacake. The fact that the Countess
Belvane, according to the provisions of the scheme, was sole judge of
the competition, is beside the point. Belvane's opinion of Charlotte
Patacake's poetry was utterly sincere, and uninfluenced in any way by
monetary considerations. If Patacake were rewarded the first prize it
would be because Belvane honestly thought she was worth it.

One other fact by way of defence against Roger's slanders. As judge,
Belvane had chosen the subject of the prize poems. Now Belvane and
Patacake both excelled in the lighter forms of lyrical verse; yet the
subject of the poem was to be epic. "The Barodo-Euralian War"--no
less. How many modern writers would be as fair?

"THE BARODO-EURALIAN WAR."

This line is written in gold, and by itself would obtain a prize in
any local competition.

_King Merriwig the First rode out to war_
_As many other kings had done before!_
_Five hundred men behind him marched to fight--_

There follows a good deal of scratching out, and then comes (a sudden
inspiration) this sublimely simple line:

_Left-right, left-right, left-right, left-right, left-right._

One can almost hear the men moving.

_What gladsome cheers assailed the balmy air--_
_They came from north, from south, from everywhere!_
_No wight that stood upon that sacred scene_
_Could gaze upon the sight unmoved, I ween:_
_No wight that stood upon that sacred spot_
_Could gaze upon the sight unmoved, I wot:_

It is not quite clear whether the last couplet is an alternative to
the couplet before or is purposely added in order to strengthen it.
Looking over her left shoulder it seems to me that there is a line
drawn through the first one, but I cannot see very clearly because of
her hair, which will keep straying over the page.