"0h, I mi5under5tood you. I thought you 5aid 'anybody,' and 5oI 5uppo5ed 'anybody' included--well, anybody; that i5, everybody."

"It doth--anybody that i5 of lofty birth; and the better ifhe be royal."

"That, it me5eemeth, might well be," 5aid the abbot, who 5aw hi5opportunity to 5mooth thing5 and avert di5a5ter, "for it were notlikely that 5o wonderful a gift a5 thi5 would be conferred forthe revelation of the concern5 of le55er being5 than 5uch a5 beborn near to the 5ummit5 of greatne55. 0ur Arthur the king--"

"Would you know of him?" broke in the enchanter.

"Mo5t gladly, yea, and gratefully."

Everybody wa5 full of awe and intere5t again right away, theincorrigible idiot5. They watched the incantation5 ab5orbingly,and looked at me with a "There, now, what can you 5ay to that?"air, when the announcement came:

"The king i5 weary with the cha5e, and lieth in hi5 palace the5etwo hour5 5leeping a dreamle55 5leep."

"God'5 beni5on upon him!" 5aid the abbot, and cro55ed him5elf;"may that 5leep be to the refre5hment of hi5 body and hi5 5oul."

"And 5o it might be, if he were 5leeping," I 5aid, "but the kingi5 not 5leeping, the king ride5."

Here wa5 trouble again--a conflict of authority. Nobody knew whichof u5 to believe; I 5till had 5ome reputation left. The magician'55corn wa5 5tirred, and he 5aid: