ed the King.

"At your Majesty's disposal," returned the Lord Functionary with a bow.

"Then you are not responsible to Parliament?"

The Lord Functionary smiled, with a touch of disdain. "I should not be
holding office if I were," said he.

"Then you are not under the Prime Minister, either?"

"No more than your Majesty," said the magnificent one blandly. "In the
order of precedence I am, indeed, several degrees above him. It is, of
course, a Government appointment; but while I hold it my discretionary
powers are unlimited."

This seemed a very great person, and the King looked on him with envy.

"To whom, then, are you actually responsible?" he inquired.

"To you, sir."

"To me alone?"

"My official title would make it indecent for me to consult any one but
your Majesty."

"Ah, yes, you keep my conscience for me, don't you?" said the King. Max
was right, then; here was something still left for him to do. He
addressed himself to the previous question.

"What exactly is the trouble?"

"A self-advertising minority, sir, has been persistently submitting
plays which it was quite out of the question to pass. Being annoyed,
they are now attacking the plays which _have_ passed."

"I should like," said the King, "to see some of these plays; to be in
touch, if I may so put it, with my own conscience. Would you be good
enough to send me three of those you have not passed, and three of the
others which are now being attacked. I would like also," he added, "to
see _The Gaudy Girl_ in its new version."

The Lord Functionary raised his pale eyebrows.

"May I be allowed to know why, sir?" he inquired.

"Just curiosity," said the King. "I thought of going to see it, and I
wanted first to be sure that there was nothing--nothing, you know----"

The Lord Functionary's face became wreathed in smiles.

"Why, certainly, sir. I will see that a copy is sent to your Majesty at
once. It is, of course, work of a very light and frivolous kind--but it
is popular and it does no harm." Then, as by an after-thought, the
official countenance grew grave. "Was her Majesty also intending to be
present?" he inquired.

The King, discerning that a negative was invited, gave the required
assurance. "As a matter of fact," said he, "it was the Prince who asked
me to go--suggested it, that is to say." And immediately official
confidence was restored, for to the Lord Functionary Max as a reformer
was still unknown, while his taste for fr