"Nay," said he," he still flies, but it will not last long. For
verily I saw the owner of the dovecot from which the hawk has stolen
the two doves. He had a weapon; and he, be ye sure of it--he will
kill this hawk, because he has robbed him of his pet doves."
"Enough, enough!" cried the earl, impatiently. "You would give me a
lesson, but you must know I take no counsel from a fool, even were
he the wisest."
"In that you are right, my lord, for only fools are so foolish as to
hearken to the voice of wisdom. Besides, each man forges his own
fortune. And now, wise sir, I will give you a key, which you
yourself have forged, and behind which lies your fortune. There,
take this key; and if you at midnight slip through the garden to the
tower over yonder, this key will open to you the door of the same,
and you can then without hesitation mount the spiral staircase and
open the door which is opposite the staircase. Behind that you will
find the fortune which you have forged for yourself, sir blacksmith,
and which will bid you welcome with warm lips and soft arms. And so
commending you to God, I must hasten home to think over the comedy
which the king has commanded me to write."
"But you do not so much as tell me from whom this message comes?"
said Earl Sudley, retaining him. "You invite me to a meeting and
give me a key, and I know not who will await me there in that
tower."
"Oh, you do not know? There is then more than one who might await
you there? Well, then, it is the youngest and smallest of the two
doves who sends you the key.
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