“Why, you couldn’t pull a sword right out of its sheath,” said Scarlett.
“Couldn’t I? Let’s go into the house and try.”
“Come along, then,” cried Scarlett; and the two lads ran right into the Hall, where Fred seized an old weapon from one of the suits of armour, and proved his ability by drawing it from the sheath, Scarlett following his example.
“Now, then!” cried Fred; “en garde!”
Nothing loth, Scarlett crossed swords with him, just as his father came thoughtfully out of the library, and stopped to watch them.
“I say, this old sword is heavy though,” said Fred, as the point of the long blade seemed attracted toward the ground.
“It’s because you haven’t muscle enough,” replied Scarlett, as the blades grated together. “Wonder whether this one ever cut off a man’s head?”
“Is this an omen?” said Sir Godfrey to himself. “Friend against friend, perhaps brother against brother, all through our unhappy land. Well, Heaven’s will be done! My duty is to my king.”
Meanwhile, the two boys were laughingly making a few cuts and guards with the clumsy old weapons; but directly after they started apart in confusion, as Sir Godfrey said aloud—
“Boys, do you remember the words of Scripture!”