lowing the blade, as he made a thrust in the
most effortless way, the point of his weapon passing into the hole made
a few minutes earlier by the young esquire; and he was in the act of
drawing it forth to thrust again, when the arras to his right was
plucked aside and the boy stood before him.

"What, you trying!" he cried.

"Yes.--But the King?"

"Asleep, and he will not awaken for an hour yet. No one can hear us,"
continued the lad eagerly. "Do give me a fencing lesson, Master Leoni.
I remember how Saint Simon once said that you were the finest swordsman
about the Court."

"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 impati