s I saw not their faces, nor heard their voices, unless
in the hymns which they chanted, I cannot tell whether the Queen of
England was of the bevy."

"And was there no one of these ladies known to you?"

Sir Kenneth stood silent.

"I ask you," said Richard, raising himself on his elbow, "as a knight
and a gentleman--and I shall know by your answer how you value either
character--did you, or did you not, know any lady amongst that band of
worshippers?"

"My lord," said Kenneth, not without much hesitation, "I might guess."

"And I also may guess," said the King, frowning sternly; "but it is
enough. Leopard as you are, Sir Knight, beware tempting the lion's paw.
Hark ye--to become enamoured of the moon would be but an act of folly;
but to leap from the battlements of a lofty tower, in the wild hope of
coming within her sphere, were self-destructive madness."

At this moment some bustling was heard in the outer apartment, and
the King, hastily changing to his more natural manner, said,
"Enough--begone--speed to De Vaux, and send him hither with the Arabian
physician. My life for the faith of the Soldan! Would he but abjure his
false law, I would aid him with my sword to drive this scum of French
and Austrians from his dominions, and think Palestine as well ruled by
him as when her kings were anointed by the decree of Heaven itself."

The Knight of the Leopard retired, and presently afterwards the
chamberlain announced a deputation from the Council, who had come to
wait on the Majesty of England.

"It is well they allow that I am living yet," was his reply. "Who are
the reverend ambassadors?"

"The Grand Master of the Templars and the Marquis of Montserrat."

"Our brother of France loves not sick-beds," said Richard; "yet, had
Philip been ill, I had stood by his couch long since.--Jocelyn, lay me
the couch more fairly--it is tumbled like a stormy sea. Reach me yonder
steel mirror--pass a comb through my hair and beard. They look, indeed,
liker a lion's mane than a Christian man's locks. Bring water."

"My lord," said the trembling chamberlain, "the leeches say that cold
water may be fatal."

"To the foul fiend with the leeches!" replied the monarch; "if they
cannot cure me, think you I will allow them to torment me?--There,
then," he said, after having made his ablutions, "admit the worshipful
envoys; they will now, I think, scarcely see that disease has made
Richard negligent of his person."

The celebrate