dventure; but
George was in love and Francoeur was faithful, and this was a case in
which one could say with the most delightful of poets:

"What may not friendship do with Love for guide!"

Master and man had trudged through the gloom for nearly an hour when
they were astonished to see a brilliant light. It was one of the meteors
which we know illumines the kingdom of the dwarfs. By the light of this
subterranean luminary they discovered that they were standing at the
foot of an ancient castle.

"This," said George, "is the castle we must capture."

"To be sure," said Francceur; "but first permit me to drink a few drops
of this wine which I brought with me as a precaution, because the better
the wine the better the man, and the better the man the better the
lance, the better the lance the less dangerous the enemy."

George, seeing no living soul, struck the hilt of his sword sharply
against the door of the castle. He looked up at the sound of a little
tremulous voice, and he saw at one of the windows a little old man with
a long beard, who asked:

"Who are you!"

"George of Blanchelande."

"And who do you want?"

"I have come to deliver Honey-Bee of Clarides whom you unjustly hold
captive in your mole-hill, hideous little moles that you are!"

The dwarf disappeared and again George was left alone with Francoeur who
said to him:

"Your lordship, possibly I may exaggerate if I remark that in your
answer to the dwarf you have not quite exhausted all the persuasive
powers of eloquence."

Francoeur was afraid of nothing, but he was old; his heart like his head
was polished by age, and he disliked to offend people.

As for George he stormed and clamoured at the top of his voice.

"Vile dwellers in the earth, moles, badgers, dormice, ferrets, and
water-rats, open the door and I'll cut off all your ears."

But hardly had he uttered these words when the bronze door of the castle
slowly opened of itself, for no one could be seen pushing back its
enormous wings.

George was seized with terror and yet he sprang through the mysterious
door because his courage was even greater than his terror. Entering the
courtyard he saw that all the windows, the galleries, the roofs, the
gables, the skylights, and even the chimney-pots, were crowded with
dwarfs armed with bows and cross-bows.

He heard the bronze door close behind him and suddenly a shower of
arrows fell thick and fast on his head and shoulders, and for the