"Why, of course," the scullion answered; "everything is in your honour
to-day."

This simplified matters wonderfully. The children passed on through a
gate in the garden wall and came upon a clearing beside a woodstack; and
there stood a caravan with its shafts in the air. A woman sat on the
tilt at the back, reading, and every now and then glancing towards two
men engaged in deadly combat in the middle of the clearing, who shouted
as they thrust at one another with long swords.

The little Princess, who, except when driven in her state-coach to the
Cathedral, had never before strayed outside the garden, turned very pale
and caught at her husband's hand. But he stepped forward boldly.

"Now yield thee, caitiff, or thine hour has come!" shouted one of the
fighters and flourished his blade.

"Sooner I'll die than tum te tum te tum!" the other answered quite as
fiercely.

"Slave of thine become," said the woman from the caravan.

"Thank you. Sooner I'll die than slave of thine become!" He laid about
him with fresh vigour.

"Put down your swords," commanded Ferdinand.

"And now tell me who you are."

"We are Valentine and Orson," they answered.