PRINCE RICARDO. 181

 

us about him,” said the king. ‘‘He is no
favourite of mine.”

“He is the only one, if you notice, sir, of all
the scoundrels about whom our ancestors
inform us, who escaped the doom which he
richly merited at the sword of a good knight.”

You may here remark that, since Dick took
to his studies, he could speak, when he chose,
like a printed book, which was by no means
the case before.

‘“‘If you remember, sir, he polished off—I
mean, he slew—the King of the Golden Mines
and the beautiful, though frivolous, Princess
Frutilla. All that the friendly Mermaid could
do for them was to turn them into a pair of
beautiful trees which intertwine their branches.
Not much use in that, sir! And nothing was
done to the scoundrel. He may be going on
still; and, with your leave, I’ll go and try a
sword-thrust with him. Francalanza says I’m
improving uncommon.”

“You'll take the usual Sword of Sharpness,”
said his Majesty.

‘What, sir, toa dwarf? Not I, indeed: a
common small sword is good enough to settle
him.”

“They say he is very cunning of fence,” said
the king; ‘‘and besides, I have heard some-
thing of a diamond sword that he stole from
the King of the Golden Mines.”

‘Very likely he has lost it or sold it, the