d her kneeling at his knee, knew her and knew her
not. She with her cold lips kissed his cold hand. That day had love, by
her own desire, been frozen; and that which was to awaken it was itself
numb in sleep.

On the third of September they crowned him King, and found that he was
to be King indeed. On the same day the citizens of London killed all the
Jews they could find; and Richard banished his brother John from his
dominions in England and France for three years and three days.

CHAPTER XVII

FROZEN HEART AND RED HEART: CAHORS

I suppose that the present relations of King Richard and the Countess of
Poictou (as she chose to call herself now) were as singular as could
subsist between a strong man and beautiful woman, both in love. I am not
to extenuate or explain, but say once for all to the curious that she
was never again to him (nor had been since that day at Fontevrault) what
a sister might not have been. Yet, with all that, it was evident to the
world at large that he was a lover, and she mistress of his mind. Not
only implicitly so, as witnessed their long intercourse of the eyes,
their quick glances, stealthy watching of each other, the little tender
acts (as the giving or receiving of a flower), the brooding silences,
the praying at the same time or place; but explicitly he pronounced
himself her knight. All his songs were of her; he wrote to her many
times a day, and she answered his letters by her page, and kept the
latest of them always within her vest, over against her heart. She
allowed herself more scope than he, trusting herself further: it is
known that she treasured discarded things of his, and went so far as to
wear (she, the Fair-Girdled!) a studded belt of his made to fit her. She
was never without this rude monument of her former grace. But this was
the sum-total of their bodily intercourse, apart from speech. Of their
spiritual ecstasies I have no warrant to speak, though I believe these
were very innocent. She would not dare, nor he care, to indulge in so
laxative a joy.

He conversed with her freely upon all affairs of moment; there was no
constraint on either side. He was even merry in her company, and
astonishingly frank. Singular man! the Navarrese marriage was a common
subject of their talk; she spoke of it with serious mockery and he with
mock seriousness. From Richard it was, 'Countess Jehane, when the
chalk-faced Spaniard reigns you must mend your manners.' And she might
s