She laughed merrily at my questions concerning the princess, and asked me if we were going to Burgundy to storm Mary's heart.

'Who is to win her ?' she asked.

'You, Sir Karl, or Sir Max?
It must be you.

Sir Max is too slow and dignified even to think of scaling the walls of a maiden fortress.

It must be you, Sir Karl.' The saucy little elf rose from her chair, bowed low before me and said, 'I do liege homage to the future Duke of Burgundy.' Then she danced across the room, laughing at my discomfiture.