rness to greet Hildebrand. "No, no, have
no fear--" he promised, hurriedly, pressing forward towards the
entrance. The hangings parted and Hildebrand entered, exquisite,
debonair, radiant.

"Salutations, sweet lady," he said, gayly, advancing towards her, but
his advance was interrupted by Robert, who rushed forward, exclaiming:
"Hildebrand! Hildebrand! do you not know me? Do you not know my voice?"

Hildebrand frowned resentfully on the intruder. "Why are you here,
fool!" he grumbled. "Your head and your hump are like to part company."

Robert gave a great groan and turned away. His last hope had withered.
The spell under which he suffered was too potent for his dearest friend
to resist; even the eye of comradeship could not pierce through that
fleshly mask; even the ear of affection could not discern a familiar
voice. Perpetua stood where she was, full of dread at this untimely
interruption. Lycabetta tapped her forehead mockingly as she looked from
Diogenes to Hildebrand.

"The crazy zany thinks he is the King," she said.

Hildebrand nodded. "He mimicked the King so pertly yesterday morn that
the King doomed him, and fear has so addled his weak wits that he
believes himself to be his master."

"Yet he is a cunning rogue," Lycabetta added, "for he has won the heart
of the woodchuck."

Hildebrand caught at her words. "I came on that business. Have you
obeyed the King?"

"Bravely," Lycabetta replied. "I flung her to this fool for a marriage
morsel, knowing him to be as cruel as he is crooked, and, by our Lady of
Lesbos, he has bewitched her, and she follows his songs like a lamb to
the sacrifice."

At the sound of her words, Robert roused himself from his lethargy. "Ay,
ay," he chirped, "you shall see. She will follow where I call. Come,
sweetheart, come!"

Again he began to move, and again he was followed by Perpetua. Now, for
the first time, Hildebrand caught sight of her and moved forward,
captured by her loveliness.

"Is this the King's fancy?" he asked.

Lycabetta answered: "This is the girl the King sent me to tame and shame
for him. Could I do it better than by giving her to this limping devil?"

Hildebrand struck his hands loudly together in protest. "Ay, by the
gods, much better. She is far too fair for the first sweetness of her
youth to be wasted on a clumsy clown. We are ourselves indifferent good
at this taming and the rest, and, like a loyal subject, I will gladly
serve the King in this."