in's room opened, and, pale with hideous terror, His
Lordship peeped out. Seeing no one, he advanced to step into the
corridor, and tumbled over the doctor. Curdie ran up, and held out his
hand. He received in it the claw of a bird of prey--vulture or eagle,
he could not tell which.

His Lordship, as soon as he was on his legs, taking him for one of the
pages abused him heartily for not coming sooner, and threatened him
with dismissal from the king's service for cowardice and neglect. He
began indeed what bade fair to be a sermon on the duties of a page, but
catching sight of the man who lay at his door, and seeing it was the
doctor, he fell upon Curdie afresh for standing there doing nothing,
and ordered him to fetch immediate assistance. Curdie left him, but
slipped into the King's chamber, closed and locked the door, and left
the rascals to look after each other. Ere long he heard hurrying
footsteps, and for a few minutes there was a great muffled tumult of
scuffling feet, low voices and deep groanings; then all was still again.

Irene slept through the whole--so confidently did she rest, knowing
Curdie was in her father's room watching over him.

CHAPTER 24

The Prophecy

Curdie sat and watched every motion of the sleeping king. All the
night, to his ear, the palace lay as quiet as a nursery of healthful
children. At sunrise he called the princess.

'How has His Majesty slept?' were her first words as she entered the
room.

'Quite quietly,' answered Curdie; 'that is, since the doctor was got
rid of.'

'How did you manage that?' inquired Irene; and Curdie had to tell all
about it.

'How terrible!' she said. 'Did it not startle the king dreadfully?'

'It did rather. I found him getting out of bed, sword in hand.'

'The brave old man!' cried the princess.

'Not so old!' said Curdie, 'as you will soon see. He went off again in
a minute or so; but for a little while he was restless, and once when
he lifted his hand it came down on the spikes of his crown, and he half
waked.'

'But where is the crown?' cried Irene, in sudden terror.

'I stroked his hands,' answered Curdie, 'and took the crown from them;
and ever since he has slept quietly, and again and again smiled in his
sleep.'

'I have never seen him do that,' said the princess. 'But what have you
done with the crown, Curdie?'

'Look,' said Curdie, moving away from the bedside.

Irene followed him--and there, in the middle of the