“And this young man?” said the Prince, nodding across to me.

But I answered for myself.

“I am the son of the Hereditary Justicer of the Wolfmark,” said I.  “I had no stomach for such work.  Therefore, as I was shortly to be made my father’s assistant, I have brought letters of introduction to your Highness, in the hopes that you will permit me the exercise of arms in your army in another and more honorable fashion.”

“I have promised him a regiment,” said the Princess, speaking quickly.

“What—­of leaden soldiers?” answered the Prince, looking at her mighty soberly.

“Your Highness is pleased to be brutal,” answered the Lady Ysolinde, coldly.  “It is your ordinary idea of humor!”

A kind of quaint humility sat on the face of the Prince.

“I but thought that your Highness could have nothing else in her mind—­seeing that our rough Plassenburg regiments will only accept men of some years and experience to lead them.  But the little soldiers of metal are not so queasy of stomach.”

“May it please your Highness,” said I, earnestly, “I will be content to begin with carrying a pike, so that I be permitted in any fashion to fight against your enemies.”

Jorian and Boris came up and saluted at this point, like twin mechanisms.  Then they stood silent and waiting.

The Prince nodded in token that they had permission to speak.

“With the sword the lad fights well,” said Boris.  “Is it not so, Jorian?”

“Good!” said Jorian.

“But with the broadaxe he slashes about him like an angel from heaven—­not so, Boris?” said Jorian.

“Good!” said Boris.

“Can you ride?” said the Prince, turning abruptly from them.

“Aye, sire!” said I. For indeed I could, and had no shame to say it.

“That horse of his is blown; give him your fresh one!” said he to the officer who had accompanied him.  “And do you show these good folk to their quarters.”

Hardly was I mounted before the Prince set spurs to his beast, and, with no more than a casual wave of his hand to the Princess and her train, he was off.

“Ride!” he cried to me.  And was presently almost out of sight, stretching his horse’s gray belly to the earth, like a coursing dog after a hare.

Well was it for me that I had learned to ride in a hard school—­that is, upon the unbroken colts which were brought in for the mounting of the Duke Casimir’s soldiery.  For the horse that I had been given took the bit between his teeth and pursued so fiercely after his stable companion that I could scarce restrain him from passing the Prince.  But our way lay homeward, so that, though I was in no way able to guide nor yet control my charger, nevertheless presently the Prince and I were clattering through the town of Plassenburg like two fiends riding headlong to the pit.

Within the town the lamps were being lit in the booths, the folks busy marketing, and the watchmen already perambulating the city and crying the hours at the street corners.