regarded her with interest and some respect. With us, chocolate
was none too common a thing, and, whenever we happened to come
by any, we resorted to the quaintest devices in order to make
it last out. Still, legends had reached us of children who
actually had, from time to time, as much chocolate as they could
possibly eat; and here, apparently, was one of them.

"You can have all the creams," I said magnanimously, "and I'll
eat the hard sticks, 'cos I like 'em best."

"Oh, but you mustn't!" she cried impetuously. "You must eat the
same as I do! It isn't nice to want to eat different. I'll tell
you what--you must give ME all the chocolate, and then I'll
give YOU--I'll give you what you ought to have!"

"Oh, all right," I said, in a subdued sort of way. It seemed a
little hard to be put under a sentimental restriction like this
in one's own Chocolate-room.

"In the next room you come to," I proceeded, "there's fizzy
drinks! There's a marble-slab business all round the room,
and little silver taps; and you just turn the right tap, and have
any kind of fizzy drink you want."

"What fizzy drinks are there?" she inquired.

"Oh, all sorts," I answered hastily, hurrying on. (She might
restrict my eatables, but I'd be hanged if I was going to have
her meddle with my drinks.)" Then you go down the corridor, and
at the back of the palace there's a great big park--the finest