and
the Queen's sorrow was renewed at the idea of a Saracen--a
mediciner--obtaining a boon for which, with bare head and on bended
knee, she had petitioned her husband in vain. At this new charge
Richard's patience began rather to give way, and he said, in a serious
tone of voice, "Berengaria, the physician saved my life. If it is of
value in your eyes, you will not grudge him a higher recompense than the
only one I could prevail on him to accept."

The Queen was satisfied she had urged her coquettish displeasure to the
verge of safety.

"My Richard," she said, "why brought you not that sage to me, that
England's Queen might show how she esteemed him who could save from
extinction the lamp of chivalry, the glory of England, and the light of
poor Berengaria's life and hope?"

In a word, the matrimonial dispute was ended; but, that some penalty
might be paid to justice, both King and Queen accorded in laying the
whole blame on the agent Nectabanus, who (the Queen being by this time
well weary of the poor dwarf's humour) was, with his royal consort
Guenevra, sentenced to be banished from the Court; and the unlucky dwarf
only escaped a supplementary whipping, from the Queen's assurances that
he had already sustained personal chastisement. It was decreed further
that, as an envoy was shortly to be dispatched to Saladin, acquainting
him with the resolution of the Council to resume hostilities so soon as
the truce was ended, and as Richard proposed to send a valuable present
to the Soldan, in acknowledgment of the high benefit he had derived from
the services of El Hakim, the two unhappy creatures should be added to
it as curiosities, which, from their extremely grotesque appearance, and
the shattered state of their intellect, were gifts that might well pass
between sovereign and sovereign.

Richard had that day yet another female encounter to sustain; but
he advanced to it with comparative indifference, for Edith, though
beautiful and highly esteemed by her royal relative--nay, although she
had from his unjust suspicions actually sustained the injury of which
Berengaria only affected to complain--still was neither Richard's wife
nor mistress, and he feared her reproaches less, although founded in
reason, than those of the Queen, though unjust and fantastical. Having
requested to speak with her apart, he was ushered into her apartment,
adjoining that of the Queen, whose two female Coptish slaves remained on
their knees i