blade to a hand not less royal
than your own."

"Give him it, Hal!" said Prince Charles, who was standing with the point
of his sword on the ground, and the blade bent. "He seems to believe in
his own nonsense."

The duke yielded his sword; Dick took it, made a nourish, and rushed at
Prince Charles.

Now Ricardo had always neglected his fencing lessons. "Where's the good
of it," he used to ask, "all that stamping, and posture-making, and ha-
haing? The Sword of Sharpness is enough for _me_."

But now he could not, in honour, use the Sword of Sharpness; so on he
came, waving the rapier like a claymore, and made a slice at Prince
Charles's head.

The prince, very much surprised, parried in prime, riposted, and touched
Dick on the hand.

At this moment the Princess Jaqueline did what she should have thought of
sooner. She flew out of Dick's coat, and stung old King James on his
royal nose. The king wakened, nearly crushed the princess (so dangerous
is the practice of magic to the artist), and then leaped up, and saw
Dick's blade flying through the air, glittering in the sun. The prince
had disarmed him.

"Hullo! what's all this? _A moi_, _mes gardes_!" cried the old king, in
French and English; and then he ran up, just in time to hear Prince
Charles say:

"Sir, take your life! I cannot strike an unarmed man. A prince you may
be, but you have not learned the exercises of gentlemen."

"What is all this, Carluccio?" asked the old king. "Swords out! brawling
in my very presence! blood drawn!" for Dick's hand was bleeding a good
deal.

Prince Charles, as briefly as possible, explained the unusual nature of
the circumstances.

"A king must hear both sides," said King James. "What reply have you,
sir, to make to his Royal Highness's statements?"

"The carpet would not work, sir," said Dick. "It never happened before.
Had I used my own sword," and he explained its properties, "the Prince of
Wales would not be alive to tell his story. I can say no more, beyond
offering my apology for a disappointment which I could not have foreseen.
A gentleman can only say that he is sorry. But wait!" he added; "I can
at least prove that my confidence in some of my resources is not
misplaced. Bid me bring you something--anything--from the ends of the
earth, and it shall be in your hands. I can't say fairer."

King James reflected, while Prince Ricardo was pulling on the
Seven-league Boots, which he had kicked off