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what they are thinking and I never thought much of them as men let alone as physicians.”
    â€œThen forget them and promise me, Papa, that you will say to yourself over and over again, ‘I am going to be well, I am going to be well!’”
    â€œNow you are bullying me,” he protested. “At the same time because I love you, I will do what you tell me.”
    Because she knew he would not break his promise, Attila then turned the conversation to other subjects.
    They talked of the races they were going to have. One was to be in boats on the river, another would be over the mountains.
    In the past the King had always taken part in these races and he had inevitably been the winner and Attila told him that some people in the country had been training racehorses and intended to challenge him.
    This was true to some extent, but she exaggerated it to raise her father’s interest, as he would have to decide which horses he would enter for the five mile race.
    At the end of the race the winner would receive a very handsome trophy.
    â€œI think tomorrow, if you feel strong enough, which I am sure you will be,” suggested Attila, “you might order the horses paraded in the garden so that you can see them from the window. There is one special horse I particularly want you to notice.”
    She went on to describe the horses which had only been brought into the stables since her father’s illness.
    She knew when she had finished that he was just as interested as he always had been in good horse flesh.
    The King would definitely make an effort to sit at the window tomorrow to see his horses and when she left her father he was not as limp and wan as usual.
    He had talked animatedly to her of the races which had taken place in previous years.
    There was a particular one which he and her mother had arranged when Attila was fifteen, when she had raced against children of her own age.
    â€œI cannot think why we ever gave it up,” the King muttered.
    Attila knew a great many things had been given up or neglected after her mother died, but she thought it would be unwise to say so.
    Instead she urged,
    â€œHurry up and get well, dear Papa, I have so many new ideas which only you can put into operation. But I am not going to tell you about them now.”
    â€œI want to hear them all and if they are for the good of our people, I must try and find someone interested who will arrange what you want.”
    â€œThe only one who could arrange anything I want is you, Papa. You know what old fuddy-duddies they are in Parliament and most of the courtiers say they don’t like change.”
    The King laughed.
    â€œI can hear them saying it!”
    â€œMama always said that you had the most brilliant ideas and by sheer force of will you made them a success.”
    â€œDid she really say that?”
    â€œShe told me many times and you know as well as I do, Papa, that if they can put their feet up and grumble ‘what was good enough for my grandfather is good enough for me,’ that is the attitude of most of them in this Palace.”
    The King laughed again.
    â€œI can see I shall have to wake them all up, Attila!”
    â€œOf course you must, Papa and the sooner the better or else we shall have moss growing all over the Palace and on the heads of most of the people in it!”
    The King kept on laughing.
    Just as Attila was going to say more her stepmother came into the room.
    â€œYou are not to tire your father, Attila,” she began in a scolding tone.
    â€œShe is not tiring me,” protested the King. “In fact I am feeling better.”
    There was just a moment’s pause before the Queen gushed,
    â€œThat is marvellous! But of course you must not do too much. Now lie still and rest. I am sure it is time for you to take your medicine.”
    The King looked at his daughter and Attila shook her head.
    The Queen had walked to a table at the side of the room and