a mighty sovereign--struggled
with her bitter and mournful reflections. She could not reproach her
husband, for she felt that his ear had been poisoned against her by an
accuser he could scarcely mistrust, even by the insinuations of her son,
confirmed--as he deemed them to be--by the evidence of his senses, when
he met her so unexpectedly traveling under the escort of Pedro Sese.

But short space was left to Nuna for these agonizing thoughts. Death, a
shameful death, was the punishment of the adulteress; but Sancho, more
merciful than she had dared to hope, had granted her one loop-hole for
escape--one slender chance of proving her innocence. The lists were to
be open to any champion believing in the lady's guiltlessness, who
should adventure his life in her defense. If any such should proffer his
services, he might do battle in single combat with her accuser.
God--according to the belief of those days--would give victory to him
who maintained the truth!

The fatal day approached, arrived, and had well-nigh passed. Garcia,
unopposed, bestrode his war-steed, the redoubtable black Ilderim, whose
possession he had so eagerly coveted, and purchased at so fearful a
price. The discrowned queen, in conformity with custom, was placed
within sight of the arena, tied to a stake, surmounting what would prove
her funeral pile if no champion appeared on her behalf, or if her
defender should suffer defeat.

Who can paint the agitation of Dona Nuna, thus placed within view of the
lists, when the precious hours passed, one by one, and no champion stood
forth in defense of her purity and truth? She was about to resign
herself hopelessly to her inexorable fate, when the sound of a horse's
tramp was heard, approaching at a rapid pace; and a knight, in complete
armor, mounted on a charger, whose foaming mouth and reeking sides told
that he had been ridden at a fearful pace, dashed into the lists, flung
down his gauntlet of defiance, and announced that he was come to do
battle in behalf of the falsely-accused, but stainless and guiltless
queen.

There was an involuntary movement among the assembled multitude when
Garcia prepared for the inevitable encounter. None knew, or could guess,
who the knight might be. No device nor emblem, by which his identity
would be discovered, could be traced on his helmet or on his shield! but
the ease with which he surmounted his steed, and his graceful and
gallant bearing, evinced that he was an accomp