PRINCE RICARDO. 167

 

Now Ricardo had always neglected his fenc-
ing lessons. ‘‘ Where’s the good of it,” he
used to ask, “all that stamping, and posture-
making, and ha-haing? The Sword of Sharp-
ness is enough for me.”

But now he could not, in honour, use the
Sword of Sharpness; so on he came, waving
the rapier like a claymore, and made a slice at
Prince Charles’s head.

The prince, very much surprised, parried in
prime, riposted, and touched Dick on the hand.

At this moment the Princess Jaqueline did
what she should have thought of sooner. She
flew out of Dick’s coat, and stung old King
James on his royal nose. The king wakened,
nearly crushed the princess (so dangerous is
the practice of magic to the artist), and then
leaped up, and saw Dick’s blade flying through
the air, glittering in the sun. The prince had
disarmed him.

“ Hullo! what’s allthis? A moi, mes gardes!”
cried the old king, in French and English; and
then he ran up, just in time to hear Prince
Charles say :

“Sir, take your life! I cannot strike an
unarmed man. A prince you may be, but you
have not learned the exercises of gentlemen.”

‘‘ What is all this, Carluccio?’”’ asked the
old king. ‘Swords out! brawling in my very
presence! blood drawn!” for Dick’s hand was
bleeding a good deal.