g of Barodia. I feel
quite confident now that I can hold him. He parries well, but his
cutting is not very good. I am glad the Countess found my sword for
me; tell her that it has been most useful.

"I must now close as I must go to bed so as to be ready for my fight
to-morrow. Good-bye, dear. I am always,

"YOUR LOVING FATHER.

"P.S.--I hope you are not finding your position too difficult. If you
are in any difficulties you should consult the Countess Belvane. I
think she would be able to advise you. Don't forget about that
ointment. Perhaps the Countess might know about some other kind.
It's for stiffness. I am afraid this is going to be a long war."

The King sealed up the letter and despatched it by special messenger
the next morning. It came to Hyacinth at a critical moment. We shall
see in the next chapter what effect it had upon her.

CHAPTER VII

THE PRINCESS RECEIVES A LETTER AND WRITES ONE

The Princess Hyacinth came in from her morning's ride in a very bad
temper. She went straight up to her favourite seat on the castle
walls and sent for Wiggs.

"Wiggs," she said, "what's the matter with me?"

Wiggs looked puzzled. She had been dusting the books in the library;
and when you dust books you simply _must_ stop every now and then to
take just one little peep inside, and then you look inside another one
and another one, and by the time you have finished dusting, your head
is so full of things you have seen that you have to be asked questions
very slowly indeed.

"I'm pretty, aren't I?" went on Hyacinth.

That was an easy one.

"Lovely!" said Wiggs, with a deep breath.

"And I'm not unkind to anybody?"

"Unkind!" said Wiggs indignantly.

"Then why--oh, Wiggs, I know it's silly of me, but it _hurts_ me that
my people are so much fonder of the Countess than of me."

"Oh, I'm sure they're not, your Royal Highness."

"Well, they cheer her much louder than they cheer me."

Wiggs tried to think of a way of comforting her mistress, but her head
was still full of the last book she had dusted.

"Why should they be so fond of her?" demanded Hyacinth.

"Perhaps because she's so funny," said Wiggs.

"Funny! Is she funny?" said the Princess coldly. "She doesn't make
_me_ laugh."

"Well, it _was_ funny of her to make Woggs march round and round that
tree like that, _wasn't_ it?"

"Like what? You don't mean----" The Princess's eyes were wide open
with astonishment. "