e handsome and
courteous king. When, in the end, he begged her to become his bride her
blushes and soft looks spoke consent.

One thing was wanting. Roderic's bride should be a Christian. Taught the
doctrines of the new faith by learned bishops, Elyata's consent to the
change of faith was easily won, and the princess was baptized as a
Christian maiden under the new name of Exilona. The marriage was
celebrated with the greatest magnificence, and was followed by tourneys
and banquets and all the gayeties of the time. Some of the companions of
the princess accepted the new faith and remained with her. Those who clung
to their old belief were sent back to Africa with rich presents from the
king, an embassy going with them to inform the monarch of Algiers of his
daughter's marriage, and to offer him the alliance and friendship of
Roderic the Gothic king.

[Illustration: TOLEDO, WITH THE ALCAZAR.]

TOLEDO, WITH THE ALCAZAR.

Queen Exilona passed a happy life as the bride of the Gothic monarch, but
many were the vicissitudes which lay before her, for the Arab conquest was
near at hand and its effects could not but bear heavily upon her destiny.
After the defeat and death of Roderic a considerable number of noble Goths
sought shelter in the city of Merida, among them the widowed queen.
Thither came Musa with a large army and besieged the city. It was strongly
and bravely defended, and the gallant garrison only yielded when famine
came to the aid of their foes.

A deputation from the city sought the Arab camp and was conducted to the
splendid pavilion of Musa, whom the deputies found to be an old man with
long white beard and streaming white hair. He received them kindly,
praised them for their valor, and offered them favorable terms. They
returned the next day to complete the conditions. On this day the
Mohammedan fast of Ramadhan ended, and the Arabs, who had worn their
meanest garb, were now in their richest attire, and joy had everywhere
succeeded penitent gloom. As for Musa, he seemed transformed. The meanly
dressed and hoary ancient of the previous visit now appeared a man in the
prime of life, his beard dark-red in hue, and his robes rich with gold and
jewels. The Goths, to whom the art of dyeing the hair was unknown, looked
on the transformation as a miracle.

"We have seen," they said on their return, "their king, who was an old
man, become a young one. We have to do with