l be fair
to my characters.

Belvane, then, had a weakness. She had several of which I have
already told you, but this is another one. She had a passion for the
distribution of largesse.

I know an old gentleman who plays bowls every evening. He trundles
his skip (or whatever he calls it) to one end of the green, toddles
after it, and trundles it back again. Think of him for a moment, and
then think of Belvane on her cream-white palfrey tossing a bag of gold
to right of her and flinging a bag of gold to left of her, as she
rides through the cheering crowds; upon my word I think hers is the
more admirable exercise.

And, I assure you, no less exacting. When once one has got into this
habit of "flinging" or "tossing" money, to give it in any ordinary
way, to slide it gently into the palm, is unbearable. Which of us who
has, in an heroic moment, flung half a crown to a cabman can ever be
content afterwards to hold out a handful of three-penny bits and
coppers to him? One must always be flinging. . . .

So it was with Belvane. The largesse habit had got hold of her. It
is an expensive habit, but her way of doing it was less expensive than
most. The people were taxed to pay for the Amazon Army; the pay of
the Amazon Army was flung back at them; could anything be fairer?

True, it brought her admiration and applause. But what woman does not
like admiration? Is that an offence? If it is, it is something very
different from the common theft of which Roger Scurvilegs would accuse
her. Let us be fair.

CHAPTER VI

THERE ARE NO WIZARDS IN BARODIA

Meanwhile "the King of Euralia was prosecuting the war with utmost
vigour."

So says Roger in that famous chapter of his, and certainly Merriwig
was very busy.

On the declaration of war the Euralian forces, in accordance with
custom, had marched into Barodia. However hot ran the passion between
them, the two Kings always preserved the elementary courtesies of war.
The last battle had taken place in Euralian territory; this time,
therefore, Barodia was the scene of the conflict. To Barodia, then,
King Merriwig had led his army. Suitable pasture land had been
allotted them as a camping ground, and amid the cheers of the Barodian
populace the Euralians made their simple preparations for the night.

The two armies had now been sitting opposite to each other for some
weeks, but neither side had been idle. On the very first morning
Merriwig had put on his