there he stayed, eating, sleeping, and working, while the thews of
his back became as strong under the smooth skin as the thews of a
beech-tree under the smooth bark; and his craft was such that the
Lad at last left the whole of the work of the forge in his charge.
For there was nothing he could not do surpassingly well. And this
the Lad admitted, save only in the case of the fourth shoe.

But on Saturday, just before closing-time, the King set to and made
a shoe so fine that when the Lad saw it he said quietly, "I could
not make a better." Had he not said so he must have lied, or proved
that he did know a masterpiece when he saw it. And he too good a
craftsman for that, besides being honest.

Pepper instantly lifted up her near hind-foot.

"Upon my word!" exclaimed the King, "the world is full of stones,
and Pepper has found them all. The wonder is that she did not fall
down on the road."

"This is not a stone," said the Lad, "it is an opal."

And he displayed an opal of such marvelous changeability, such milk
and fire shot with such shifting rainbows, that it was as though it
had had birth of all the moods of all the women of all time.

"This enriches you for life," said the Lad gloomily, "and now you
are free of masters for ever."

But William thrust his hands into his pockets. "Keep it," he said,
"for this week you have given me love, and I have given you nothing