of his power, and the orb of his dominion in his left
hand. Then Berengere, daughter of Navarre, kneeling before him, was by
him thrice crowned: Queen of England, Empress of Cyprus, Duchess of
Normandy. But she never got upon her little dark head the red cap of
Anjou which had covered up Jehane's gold hair. Jehane was neither at the
church nor at the great feast that followed. She, on Richard's bidding,
was in her ship, _Li Chastel Orgoilous_, whose head swayed to the
running tide.

But a great feast was held, at which Queen Berengere sat by the King in
a gold chair, and was served on knees by the chief officers of the
household, the kingdom, and the duchy. Also, after dinner, full and free
homage was done her--a desperate long ceremony. The little lady had
great dignity; and if they found her stiff, it is to be hoped they
remembered her very young. But although everybody saw that Richard was
in the clutches of his ague throughout these performances, so much so
that when he was not talking his teeth chattered in his head, and his
hand spilt the wine on its way to the mouth--none were prepared for
what was to come, unless such intimates as Gaston of Bearn or Mercadet,
his Gascon con captain, may have known it. At the close of the
homage-giving he rose up in his throne, threw back his purple robe, and
showed to all beholders the wrinkled mail beneath it. He was, in fact,
in chain-armour from shoulders to feet. For a moment all looked
open-mouthed. He drew his sword with a great gesture, and held it on
high.

'Peers and noble vassals,' he called out in measured tones (in which,
nevertheless, deep down the shaking fit could be discerned, vibrating
the music), 'the work calls us; Acre is in peril. Kings, who are
servants of the King of Kings, put by their private concerns; queens,
who bow to one throne only, to that bow with haste. Now, you of the
Cross, who follows me to win the Cross? The ships are ready, my lords.
Shall we go?'

The great hall was struck dumb. Queen Berengere, only half
understanding, looked scared about her. One could not but pity the
extinguishment of her poor little great affairs. Queen Joan grew very
red. She had the spirit of her family, was angry, fiercely whispered in
her brother's ear. He barely heard her; he shook her words from his
ears, stamped on the pavement.

'Never, never! I am for the Cross! Lord Jesus, behold thy knight! The
work is ready, shall I not do it? I call Yea! for this tur