s.

"Oh, I thought it was--er--rather forcible," said the King awkwardly.
Secretly he had admired it a good deal and wished that he had been the
one to do it.

"Of course," said the Countess, with a charming smile, "that sort of
thing depends so _very_ much on who does it. Now from your Majesty it
would have seemed--dignified."

"He must have been very angry," said the King, picking up first one
and then another of a number of swords which lay in front of him. "I
wish I had seen his face when he got my Note."

"So do I," sighed the Countess. She wished it much more than the
King. It is the tragedy of writing a good letter that you cannot be
there when it is opened: a maxim of my own, the thought never having
occurred to Roger Scurvilegs, who was a dull correspondent.

The King was still taking up and putting down his swords.

"It's very awkward," he muttered; "I wonder if Hyacinth----" He went
to the door and called "Hyacinth!"

"Coming, Father," called back Hyacinth, from a higher floor.

The Countess rose and curtsied deeply.

"Good morning, your Royal Highness."

"Good morning, Countess," said Hyacinth brightly. She liked the
Countess (you couldn't help it), but rather wished she didn't.

"Oh, Hyacinth," said the King, "come and tell me about these swords.
Which is my magic one?"

Hyacinth looked at him blankly.

"Oh, Father," she said. "I don't know at all. Does it matter very
much?"

"My dear child, of course it matters. Supposing I am fighting the
King of Barodia and I have my magic sword, then I'm bound to win.
Supposing I haven't, then I'm not bound to."

"Supposing you both had magic swords," said Belvane. It was the sort
of thing she _would_ say.

The King looked up slowly at her and began to revolve the idea in his
mind.

"Well, really," he said, "I hadn't thought of that. Upon my word,
I----" He turned to his daughter. "Hyacinth, what would happen if we
both had magic swords?"

"I suppose you'd go on fighting for ever," said Hyacinth.

"Or until the magic wore out of one of them," said Belvane innocently.

"There must be something about it somewhere," said the King, whose
morning was in danger of being quite spoilt by this new suggestion;
"I'd ask the Chancellor to look it up, only he's so busy just now."

"He'd have plenty of time while the combat was going on," said Belvane
thoughtfully. Wonderful creature! she saw already the Chancellor
hurrying up to announce tha