ecured the
helmet to the gorget.

"And what expect you from beneath this iron shell?" said Richard, as the
removal of the casque gave to view the noble countenance of Sir Kenneth,
his face glowing with recent exertion, and not less so with present
emotion. "What think ye of him, gallants and beauties?" said Richard.
"Doth he resemble an Ethiopian slave, or doth he present the face of an
obscure and nameless adventurer? No, by my good sword! Here terminate
his various disguises. He hath knelt down before you unknown, save by
his worth; he arises equally distinguished by birth and by fortune. The
adventurous knight, Kenneth, arises David, Earl of Huntingdon, Prince
Royal of Scotland!"

There was a general exclamation of surprise, and Edith dropped from her
hand the helmet which she had just received.

"Yes, my masters," said the King, "it is even so. Ye know how Scotland
deceived us when she proposed to send this valiant Earl, with a bold
company of her best and noblest, to aid our arms in this conquest of
Palestine, but failed to comply with her engagements. This noble youth,
under whom the Scottish Crusaders were to have been arrayed, thought
foul scorn that his arm should be withheld from the holy warfare,
and joined us at Sicily with a small train of devoted and faithful
attendants, which was augmented by many of his countrymen to whom the
rank of their leader was unknown. The confidants of the Royal Prince had
all, save one old follower, fallen by death, when his secret, but
too well kept, had nearly occasioned my cutting off, in a Scottish
adventurer, one of the noblest hopes of Europe.--Why did you not mention
your rank, noble Huntingdon, when endangered by my hasty and passionate
sentence? Was it that you thought Richard capable of abusing the
advantage I possessed over the heir of a King whom I have so often found
hostile?"

"I did you not that injustice, royal Richard," answered the Earl of
Huntingdon; "but my pride brooked not that I should avow myself Prince
of Scotland in order to save my life, endangered for default of loyalty.
And, moreover, I had made my vow to preserve my rank unknown till the
Crusade should be accomplished; nor did I mention it save IN ARTICULO
MORTIS, and under the seal of confession, to yonder reverend hermit."

"It was the knowledge of that secret, then, which made the good man so
urgent with me to recall my severe sentence?" said Richard. "Well did
he say that, had this good kn