is only one thing for a gentleman to do. Udo patted her
hand reassuringly.

"Oh, thank you, your Royal Highness." She gave herself a little shake
and jumped up. "And now shall I show you my beautiful garden?"

"A garden with you in it, dear Countess, is always beautiful," he said
gallantly. And it was not bad, I think, for a man who had been living
on watercress and bran-mash only the day before.

They wandered round the garden together. Udo was now quite certain it
was going to be a nice day.

It was an hour later when he came into the library. Hyacinth greeted
him eagerly.

"Well?" she said.

Udo nodded his head wisely.

"I have spoken to her about her conduct to me," he said. "There will
be no more trouble in that direction, I fancy. She explained her
conduct to me very fully, and I have decided to overlook it this
time."

"But her robberies, her plots, her conspiracy against _me!_"

Udo looked blankly at her for a moment and then pulled himself
together.

"I am speaking to her about that this afternoon," he said.

CHAPTER XVII

THE KING OF BARODIA DROPS THE WHISKER HABIT

King Merriwig sat in his tent, his head held well back, his eyes
gazing upwards. His rubicund cheeks were for the moment a snowy
white. A hind of the name of Carlo had him firmly by the nose. Yet
King Merriwig neither struggled nor protested; he was, in fact, being
shaved.

The Court Barber was in his usual conversational mood. He released
his Majesty's nose for a moment, and, as he turned to sharpen his
razor, remarked,

"Terrible war, this."

"Terrible," agreed the King.

"Don't seem no end to it, like."

"Well, well," said Merriwig, "we shall see."

The barber got to work again.

"Do you know what I should do to the King of Barodia if I had him
here?"

Merriwig did not dare to speak, but he indicated with his right eye
that he was interested in the conversation.

"I'd shave his whiskers off," said Carlo firmly.

The King gave a sudden jerk, and for the moment there were signs of a
battle upon the snow; then the King leant back again, and in another
minute or so the operation was over.

"It will soon be all right," said Carlo, mopping at his Majesty's
chin. "Your Majesty shouldn't have moved."

"It was my own fault, Carlo; you gave me a sudden idea, that's all."

"You're welcome, your Majesty."

As soon as he was alone the King took out his tablets. On these he
was accustomed to record any