the knight; 'but if you would
have speech with her it is first needful to persuade the king to go on
some distant mission. And first you must put on a disguise, for at any
moment those may come by who knew you well at the royal palace.'

This advice Bevis followed; he hid himself with his friend behind a
clump of bushes till a pilgrim passed on the way to Jerusalem. The young
knight then left his hiding-place, and prayed the pilgrim for the sake
of charity and a dole of money to be given in alms that he would
exchange clothes with Sir Bevis. To this the pilgrim readily agreed, and
soon Bevis was arrayed in a long mantle, carrying a staff in his hand.

'Now go and stand about the door of the palace, and when the king comes
from hunting he will see you, and will ask you where you come from, and
what news is stirring in the world. And you must say to him that you
have lately journeyed from Syria, from the kingdom of his brother, and
that the land has been overrun by strange armies, and that the country
is in a great strait. When he hears that he will of a surety hasten to
his aid, and then you will be able to escape with Josyan without danger
of losing your head.'

Now Inor the king had placed Josyan under the charge of Boniface, the
chamberlain, who had been long in the service of her father, and in
order the better to help her had pretended to approve of the evil way in
which she was treated. Directly he heard of the plot he began to play
his part towards its fulfilment, and in the evening of the day on which
the king had departed he managed to give the steward, who had been left
to rule the city, such a powerful sleeping draught that he did not wake
for twenty-four hours. Meanwhile Sir Bevis chose out the best suit of
armour in the king's armoury and the fastest horse in his stable; and
when night fell Josyan stole softly down from her tower, and, mounting
Arundel, whom she had brought with her from her old home, rode out of
the gates by the side of Bevis. Boniface followed close after them. He
did not dare to stay behind, as he knew that his head was forfeit.

But as things happened he might as well have remained where he was, for
the very next day, when Bevis was hunting, two lions came up to the cave
where Josyan and her chamberlain lay concealed. Without an instant's
pause they devoured Boniface and his horse, which was tethered outside,
though Josyan's beauty so overawed them that they bent their heads
humbly i