“A miracle!” said the Duke of York.
“You have entirely cleared your character,” said the king. “Your honour is without a stain, though it is a pity about the carpet. Your nobility in not using your magical sword, under the greatest provocation, reconciles me to this fresh blighting of my hopes. All my allies fail me,” said the poor king with a sigh; “you alone have failed with honour. Carluccio, embrace the prince!”
They fell into each other’s arms.
“Prince,” said Dick, “you have taught me a lesson for which I shall not be ungrateful. With any blade a gentleman should be able to hold his own in fair fight. I shall no longer neglect my fencing lessons.”
“With any blade,” said Prince Charles, “I shall be happy to find Prince Ricardo by my side in a stricken field. We shall not part till I have induced you to accept a sword which I can never hope to draw against another adversary so noble. In war, my weapon is the claymore.”
Here the prince offered to Ricardo the ruby-studded hilt of his rapier, which had a beautiful white shark-skin sheath.
“You must accept it, sir,” said King James; “the hilt holds the rubies of John Sobieski.”
“Thank you, prince,” said Ricardo, “for the weapon, which I shall learn to wield; and
I entreat you to honour me by receiving this fairy gift—which you do not need—a ring which makes all men faithful to the wearer.”
The Prince of Wales bowed, and placed the talisman on his finger.