"Did he say that?" said the doctor quietly. "To be sure he did," cried the lad, drawing his sword and putting himself on guard.--"Come on." "Better not now," said the doctor. "We may awaken the King." "Don't I tell you he's fast asleep?" "Yes; but the guard may hear." "Not they; and what matter if they did? Now then; shall I attack you?" "Yes," said the doctor quietly. "Would you like a place marked-out upon my chest?" "There, now you are mocking at me." "Yes: I was." "Well, you shall attack. But had I better get some buttoned swords? I shouldn't like to hurt you, sir." "I'll take care you do not," said the doctor quietly; "and there will be no need, for I will not hurt you." The lad coloured slightly as the thought flashed through him that he should like to humble the other's confidence and pride. The next moment he was looking on, half astonished, as his adversary slipped off his long robe-like gown and stood before him in his tight doublet and hose, upright, keen, and active as a man of half his years, ready to fall into position the next moment and challenge him to come on. The lad required no second invitation, for, calling up all he knew of fencing, he crossed swords and attacked vigorously, with the sensation the next moment that he had received a sharp jerk of the wrist as his rapier described a curve in the air and the doctor leaped up, making a snatch with his left hand, and catching it by the middle of the blade as it fell, to hold it to its owner with a smile. "Bad," he said. "Don't let me do that again." "You can't," cried the lad defiantly, as, tingling with annoyance, he attacked once more, to feel his adversary's blade seem as if endowed with snake-like vitality, and twine round his own, which then twitched and fell with a sharp jingle upon the oaken boards. "Oh," cried the lad impatiently, "I can't fence a bit! But tell me, doctor; is there any--no, absurd--stuff! I don't believe in magic. I'd give anything, though, if you would teach me how to do that." "You must learn to fence first, my boy, and work hard. I did not learn to do that in one lesson. Now attack again, and keep a good grip of your hilt. There, come on." "No, not now, sir," said the boy huskily. "This has made me hot and angry, and one ought to be cool when handling pointed weapons. I shouldn't like to hurt you, sir."