viour, if the dead could speak!"

'No more than the dead could John speak; but King Richard answered her.

'"Madame," he said, "the dead hath spoken, and I have answered it. That
is the kingly office, I think, to stand before God for the people. Let
no other speak. All is said."

'"No, no, Richard," said Madame Alois, "all is not nearly said. So sure
as I live in torment, you will rue it if you do not listen to me now."

'"Madame," replied the King, "I shall not listen. I require your
silence. If I have it in me, I command it. I know what I have done."

'"You know nothing," said the lady, beginning to tremble. "You are a
fool."

'"May be," said King Richard, with a little shrug, "but I am a king in
Fontevrault."

'The Count of Mortain began to wag his head about and pluck at the morse
of his cope. "Air, air!" he gasped; "I strangle! I suffocate!" They
carried him out of church to his, lodging, and there bled him.

'"Once more, King Richard," said Madame, "will you hear the truth from
me?"

'The king turned fiercely, saying, "Madame, I will hear nothing from
you. My purpose is to take the Cross here in this church, and to set
about our Lord's business as soon as may be. I urge you, therefore, to
depart and, if you have time, to consider your soul's health--as I
consider mine and my kingdom's."

'She began to cry, being overwrought with this terrible affair. "O
Richard," she said, "forgive me my trespasses. I am most wretched."

'He stepped forward, and across the dead man kissed her on the forehead.
"God knows, I forgive thee, Alois," he said.

'So then she went away with her people, and no long time afterwards took
(as I believe) the whole vow in the convent of Fontevrault.' Thus Milo
records a scene too high for me.

When they had buried the old King, Richard sent letters to his brother
of France, reminding him of what they had both undertaken to do, namely,
to redeem the Sepulchre and set up again in Jerusalem the True Cross.
'As for me,' he wrote, 'I do most earnestly purpose to set about that
business as soon as I may; and I require of you, sire and my brother, to
witness my resumption of the Cross in this church of Fontevrault upon
the feast of Monsire Saint John Baptist next coming. Let them also who
are in your allegiance, the illustrious Duke of Burgundy, Conrad
Marquess of Montferrat, and my cousin Count Henry, be of your party and
sharers with you in the new vow.' This done, he went to Chinon to