at could have happened which made an interview so
necessary at that inconvenient moment, but master Guedelha was an old
friend, so orders were given to admit him at once.

'Oh, senhor,' exclaimed the physician, as soon as they were alone, 'do
not, I beseech you, suffer yourself to be proclaimed before noon; the
hour you have fixed on is an evil one, and the stars which rule it are
against you.'

Sad though he was, dom Duarte could hardly help smiling at the
earnestness of the man; but he answered gravely that, greatly as he
respected the knowledge of the stars, his faith in God was greater
still, and nothing could befall him that was contrary to His will. In
vain Guedelha fell on his knees and implored him to delay till the fatal
hour was past; Duarte refused to change his plans, and at length the old
man rose to his feet.

[Illustration: In vain Guedelha implored him to wait till the fatal hour
was past.]

'I have done all I could,' he said; 'on your own head be it. The years
of your reign will be short and full of trouble to yourself, and to
those you love, and to the country.'

Although dom Duarte had so steadily declined to listen to the prayers of
Guedelha, he had enough 'respect,' as he had said, for the science of
astrology, as the study of the stars was called, to feel very
uncomfortable at the prophecy of the physician. But he could not draw
back now, even if he wished, and 'Eduarte, king of Portugal,' was
thrice proclaimed and the royal standard unfurled and raised. When this
was done, the nobles and officials kissed the king's hand and swore
allegiance to him. Then Duarte went back to his palace, and took off his
crown and robes of state, and put on deep mourning for his father.

* * * * *

For some time dom Duarte had been governing the kingdom under the
direction of John I., so affairs went on much as before. He and his
brothers were the best of friends, and he often sought their counsel,
especially that of dom Pedro, only a year younger than himself. Pedro
was one of the wisest princes in Europe, as well as one of the best, and
if his brothers had listened to his advice the prophecy of master
Guedelha might have come to naught. Like the rest, he loved books, and
even wrote poetry, and during his father's lifetime made many voyages
along the coast of Africa, though he was no discoverer of strange lands
like dom Enrique. But for the present his duty was in Portugal, whe