ed sword upon thy side will stab thee
hourly with deeper thrusts than any adversary can give. 'Twill be a
daily 'minder of thy thwarted hopes. For foiled ambition is the
hydra-headed monster of the Lerna marsh. Two heads will rise for every
one thou severest. 'Twill be a fight till death. Art brave enough to
lift the gauntlet that Despair flings down and wage this warfare to thy
very grave?"

Such call to arms seemed mockery as Aldebaran looked down upon his
twisted limbs, but as the bloodstone on his finger met his sight his
kingly soul leapt up. "I'll keep the oath!" he cried, and struggling to
his feet laid hand upon the jewelled hilt that decked his side.

"By sheathed sword, since blade is now denied me," he swore. "I'll win
the future that my stars foretold!"

In that exalted moment all things seemed possible, and though his body
limped as haltingly he followed on behind his new-found friend, his
spirit walked erect, and faced his future for the time, undaunted.

His merry-Andrew of a host made festival when they at last came to his
dwelling; lit a great fire upon the hearth, brewed him a drink that
warmed him to the core, brought wheaten loaves and set a bit of savoury
meat to turning on the spit.

"Ho, ho!" he laughed. "They say it is an ill wind that blows good to
none. Now thou dost prove the proverb. The tempest that didst blow thee
from thy course mayhap may send me on my way rejoicing. I long have
wished to leave this land and seek the distant province where my kindred
dwell, but there was never one to take my place. And when I spake of
going, my townsmen said me nay. 'Twas quite as bad, they vowed, as if
the priest should suddenly desert his parish, with none to shepherd his
abandoned flock. 'Who'll cheer us in our doldrums?' they demanded.
'Who'll help us bear our troubles by making us forget them? Thou canst
not leave us, Piper, until some other merry soul comes by to set our
feet a-dancing.' Now thou art come."

"Yes, _I_! A merry soul indeed!" Aldebaran cried in bitterness.

"Well, maybe not quite that," his host admitted. "But thou couldst pass
as one. Thou couldst at least put on my grotesque garb, couldst learn
the quips and quirks by which I make men laugh. Thou wouldst not be the
first man who has hid an aching heart behind a smile. The tune thou
pipest may not bring _thee_ pleasure, but if it sets the world to
dancing it is enough. And, too, it is an honest way to earn thy bread.
Canst th