pposed to executions and
corporal punishment on principle, in a general way; but I'm not a
hide-bound doctrinnaire. There are circumstances--I kind of feel that
the British domestic servant is one of these circumstances."

"Yes, sir," said Smith. "Quite so, sir."

CHAPTER VII

History says little about them, but there doubtless have been queens
who lacked dignity, queens with high spirits and little sense of
decorum, queens who outraged pompous chamberlains and brought shame
into the lives of stately chancellors. The behaviour of the new queen
of Salissa caused no scandal; but that was only because there was no
one in her small court who had any sense of the dignity proper to
queens. The major domo's feelings would certainly have been outraged
if he watched Queen Daisy make her first royal progress. But he was
shut up in his cabin. The other servants might have quivered with
shame and disgust if they had seen--but they saw nothing, having
turned away their eyes from beholding vanity.

After the cable had ceased rattling through the hawse hole Miss Daisy
demanded a boat. Scarcely waiting for Captain Wilson's word, Mr.
Phillips rushed to lower one. Lashings were cast loose, the boat was
swung outboard and manned with a speed which would have done credit to
a smart yacht's crew. Miss Daisy ran to her cabin. The oarsmen sat
ready to push off. Mr. Phillips stood in the stern sheets, the tiller
between his feet. Miss Daisy appeared at the top of the accommodation
ladder. She held a large parcel in her hand.

"Catch," she said to Mr. Phillips, "it's the flag."

She flung it. Mr. Phillips with a wild grab saved it from the sea.
Miss Daisy laughed joyously.

"Catch again," she said, "the palace keys."

A bunch of keys crashed on the floor boards of the boat between the
feet of the man who rowed stroke. Mr. Phillips picked them up. Miss
Daisy, disdaining a helping hand held out by Smith, skipped down the
steps; her skirt held tight in one hand she leaped into the boat.

"Quickly," she cried, "oh, quickly, quickly! Please don't be long."

"Shove off," said Mr. Phillips, "and pull like--pull like----"

"Say it," said Miss Daisy, "say it, if it will make them go quicker."

"Pull," said Mr. Phillips, "pull like--billy-o."

The men pulled. Not even the expected invocation of bloody hell would
have stirred them to greater exertions. The boat sprang forward. She
sped towards the palace. The water bubbled round her