interest to sow tares among the
wheat, and bring dissension into our councils, and--"

"Peace, Neville," said Richard. "Hello to your northern hound when he is
close on the haunch of the deer, and hope to recall him, but seek not to
stop Plantagenet when he hath hope to retrieve his honour."

The slave, who during this discussion had been writing, in which art he
seemed skilful, now arose, and pressing what he had written to his brow,
prostrated himself as usual, ere he delivered it into the King's hands.
The scroll was in French, although their intercourse had hitherto been
conducted by Richard in the lingua franca.

"To Richard, the conquering and invincible King of England, this from
the humblest of his slaves. Mysteries are the sealed caskets of Heaven,
but wisdom may devise means to open the lock. Were your slave stationed
where the leaders of the Christian host were made to pass before him
in order, doubt nothing that if he who did the injury whereof my King
complains shall be among the number, he may be made manifest in his
iniquity, though it be hidden under seven veils."

"Now, by Saint George!" said King Richard, "thou hast spoken most
opportunely.--Neville, thou knowest that when we muster our troops
to-morrow the princes have agreed that, to expiate the affront offered
to England in the theft of her banner, the leaders should pass our new
standard as it floats on Saint George's Mount, and salute it with formal
regard. Believe me, the secret traitor will not dare to absent himself
from an expurgation so solemn, lest his very absence should be matter of
suspicion. There will we place our sable man of counsel, and if his art
can detect the villain, leave me to deal with him."

"My liege," said Neville, with the frankness of an English baron,
"beware what work you begin. Here is the concord of our holy league
unexpectedly renewed--will you, upon such suspicion as a negro slave can
instil, tear open wounds so lately closed? Or will you use the solemn
procession, adopted for the reparation of your honour and establishment
of unanimity amongst the discording princes, as the means of again
finding out new cause of offence, or reviving ancient quarrels? It were
scarce too strong to say this were a breach of the declaration your
Grace made to the assembled Council of the Crusade."

"Neville," said the King, sternly interrupting him, "thy zeal makes thee
presumptuous and unmannerly. Never did I promise to abstain