n in the waters of Aix.'

'If he does this,' said Charles, 'his soul may still be saved,' and he
bade hospitality to be shown to his guests.

Before sunrise next morning the Emperor left his bed, and heard Mass
said and Matins sung. Then he seated himself under a pine, and called
his Barons to council. Many there were whose names men still remember:
Ogier the Dane, and Archbishop Turpin of Rheims, and the brave Count
of Gascony, Count Roland, nephew of Charles, and his friend the
valiant Oliver. Ganelon was there too, by whom the wrong was to be
wrought. As soon as they were all seated, the Emperor spoke and told
them afresh what the messengers had said. 'But Marsile makes one
condition,' continued Charles, 'which is that I must return to France,
where he will come to me as my vassal. Now, does he swear falsely, or
can I trust his oath?' 'Let us be very careful how we answer him,'
cried the nobles with one voice.

At that Roland sprang to his feet. 'It is madness to put faith in
Marsile,' said he; 'seven years have we been in Spain, and many towns
have I conquered for you, but Marsile we have always proved a traitor.
Once before he sent us an embassy of Unbelievers each one bearing an
olive branch, and they made you the same promises. Once before you
called a meeting of your barons who counselled you to do the thing
they knew you wished, and you sent to the Court of the Unbelievers the
noble Counts Basil and Bazan. And how did Marsile treat them? He
commanded that they should be led into the mountains and that their
heads should be cut off, which was done. No! Go on with the war, as
you have begun it; march on Saragossa and lay siege to the town,
though it should last to the end of your life, and avenge those whom
Marsile put to death.'

With bent head the Emperor listened to Roland, twisting all the while
his fingers in his moustache. He kept silent, turning over in his mind
the things Roland had said, and the nobles kept silence, too, all
except Ganelon. For Ganelon rose and stood before Charles and began to
speak. 'Believe none of us,' he said; 'think of nothing but your own
advantage when Marsile offers to become your vassal, and to do homage
for the whole of Spain, and to receive baptism besides; he who wishes
you to reject such offers cares nothing for the deaths the rest of us
may die. Pay no attention to such madness, but listen to your wise
men.'

He sat down in his place, and then the Duke Naimes took up