“‘And how long will it take?’
“‘I can hardly manage it in less than fifteen days, sire,’ answered Goldfinch.
“‘And what do you require for the cure?’ inquired the king.
“‘A good horse, strong and swift, Your Majesty.’
“Balancin was astonished again, and the courtiers could hardly restrain their laughter, but the monarch replied at once: ‘The horse shall be yours, Master Goldfinch, and in fifteen days I shall expect you here again. If you succeed in the cure, you know what the reward will be; if you fail, your daring will receive a fitting punishment.’
“Goldfinch made a profound bow and withdrew; the horse was provided at once, and the youth left the city followed by the hoots and jeers of the entire populace.
“Now I must tell you, my children, who Goldfinch was and how he became possessed of so much medical knowledge.
“His parents having died in his infancy he was taken in, out of charity, by an old apothecary who had nothing left of his business but his learning and his library.
“As the boy grew, he applied himself to study the books with which the walls were lined and was greatly assisted and encouraged by his benefactor, who, upon his death, bequeathed to his charge all the weighty volumes. The youth gained a light employment to support his scanty needs and spent his remaining time in study, whereby, one day, he found a marvelous specific for wounds which, however, required the use of a plant only to be found at a great distance and was thus completely out of his reach, as he possessed neither horse nor money.
“He had often seen the Princess Diamantina in her royal progress through the city and cherished for her a passionate affection, but had had no hope, even of speaking to her, until he saw the king’s proclamation published in the streets and so was emboldened to call at the palace and offer a substitute for the White Slipper.