he king, turning to Felix; "what do you say?"

"It is true," replied Felix, "he has never spoken to me nor I to him. He
knew nothing of what I said. I said it on my own account, and I say it
again!"

"And pray, sir knave," said the king, sitting up on his couch, for he
was surprised to hear one so meanly dressed speak so correctly, and so
boldly face him. "What was it you did say?"

"If your majesty will order me a single drop of water," said the
prisoner, "I will repeat it word for word, but I have had nothing the
whole day, and I can hardly move my tongue."

Without a word the king handed him the cup from which he had himself
drunk. Never, surely, was water so delicious. Felix drained it to the
bottom, handed it back (an officer took it), and with one brief thought
of Aurora, he said: "Your majesty, you are an incapable commander."

"Go on," said the king sarcastically; "why am I incapable?"

"You have attacked the wrong city; these three are all your enemies, and
you have attacked the first. They stand in a row."

"They stand in a row," repeated the king; "and we will knock them over
like three nine-pins."

"But you have begun with the end one," said Felix, "and that is the
mistake. For after you have taken the first you must take the second,
and still after that the third. But you might have saved much trouble
and time if----"

"If what?"

"If you had assaulted the middle one first. For then, while the siege
went on, you would have been able to prevent either of the other two
towns from sending assistance, and when you had taken the first and put
your garrison in it, neither of the others could have stirred, or reaped
their corn, nor could they even communicate with each other, since you
would be between them; and in fact you would have cut your enemies in
twain."

"By St. John!" swore the king, "it is a good idea. I begin to think--but
go on, you have more to say."

"I think, too, your majesty, that by staying here as you have done this
fortnight past without action, you have encouraged the other two cities
to make more desperate resistance; and it seems to me that you are in a
dangerous position, and may at any moment be overwhelmed with disaster,
for there is nothing whatever to prevent either of the other two from
sending troops to burn the open city of Aisi in your absence. And that
danger must increase every day as they take courage by your idleness."

"Idleness! There shall be idleness no long