restless wise he passed his Sunday.

It is enough to know that on Monday when he went into the forge he
found the Lad already at work, and if he had been pitch-black at
their parting he was no less so at their meeting. He appeared to be
out of humor, and for some time regarded his apprentice with
dissatisfaction, but only remarked at last:

"You look fatigued."

"My sleep was broken with dreams," said the King. "I am sorry if I
am late. Let me to my shoeing. Since Saturday ended in success, I
suppose I shall now finish the business without more ado."

He was, however, too hopeful as it appeared, for though he managed
to fashion a shoe which was in his eyes the equal of the other, the
Lad was captious and would not commend it.

"I should be an ill craftmaster," said he, "if I let you rest
content on what you have already done. I made such a shoe as this on
my thirteenth birthday, and my father's only praise was, You must
do better yet.'"

So particular was the young smith that William spent the whole of
another week in endeavoring to please him. This might have chafed
the King, but that it agreed entirely with his desires to remain in
that place, sleeping and eating at no cost to himself, and working
so strenuously that his hands grew almost as hard as the metal he
worked in; for the Lad now began to entrust him with small jobs of
various sorts, although in the matter of the second shoe he refused