of fair play, where men speak before they strike, and
shake hands ere they cut throats. Danger in our land walks openly, and
with his blade drawn, and defies the foe whom he means to assault; but
here he challenges you with a silk glove instead of a steel gauntlet,
cuts your throat with the feather of a turtle-dove, stabs you with the
tongue of a priest's brooch, or throttles you with the lace of my lady's
boddice. Go to--keep your eyes open and your mouths shut--drink less,
and look sharper about you; or I will place your huge stomachs on such
short allowance as would pinch the stomach of a patient Scottish man."

The yeomen, abashed and mortified, withdrew to their post, and Neville
was beginning to remonstrate with his master upon the risk of passing
over thus slightly their negligence upon their duty, and the propriety
of an example in a case so peculiarly aggravated as the permitting one
so suspicious as the marabout to approach within dagger's length of
his person, when Richard interrupted him with, "Speak not of it,
Neville--wouldst thou have me avenge a petty risk to myself more
severely than the loss of England's banner? It has been stolen--stolen
by a thief, or delivered up by a traitor, and no blood has been shed
for it.--My sable friend, thou art an expounder of mysteries, saith the
illustrious Soldan--now would I give thee thine own weight in gold, if,
by raising one still blacker than thyself or by what other means thou
wilt, thou couldst show me the thief who did mine honour that wrong.
What sayest thou, ha?"

The mute seemed desirous to speak, but uttered only that imperfect sound
proper to his melancholy condition; then folded his arms, looked on the
King with an eye of intelligence, and nodded in answer to his question.

"How!" said Richard, with joyful impatience. "Wilt thou undertake to
make discovery in this matter?"

The Nubian slave repeated the same motion.

"But how shall we understand each other?" said the King. "Canst thou
write, good fellow?"

The slave again nodded in assent.

"Give him writing-tools," said the King. "They were readier in my
father's tent than mine; but they be somewhere about, if this scorching
climate have not dried up the ink.--Why, this fellow is a jewel--a black
diamond, Neville."

"So please you, my liege," said Neville, "if I might speak my poor mind,
it were ill dealing in this ware. This man must be a wizard, and wizards
deal with the Enemy, who hath most