I reached for the monk's sleeve, in considerable excitement, and asked him what day of the month it was.
Hang him, he said it was the _twenty-first_! It made me turn cold to hear him.

I begged him not to make any mistake about it; but he was sure; he knew it was the 21st.

So, that feather-headed boy had botched things again! The time of the day was right for the eclipse; I had seen that for myself, in the beginning, by the dial that was near by.

Yes, I was in King Arthur's court, and I might as well make the most out of it I could.
The darkness was steadily growing, the people becoming more and more distressed.

I now said: "I have reflected, Sir King.