paused, and the King of England broke silence.

"If this be true, as I doubt not, we have witnessed a great act of
justice, though it bore a different aspect. But wherefore in this
presence? wherefore with thine own hand?"

"I had designed otherwise," said Saladin. "But had I not hastened his
doom, it had been altogether averted, since, if I had permitted him to
taste of my cup, as he was about to do, how could I, without incurring
the brand of inhospitality, have done him to death as he deserved? Had
he murdered my father, and afterwards partaken of my food and my bowl,
not a hair of his head could have been injured by me. But enough of
him--let his carcass and his memory be removed from amongst us."

The body was carried away, and the marks of the slaughter obliterated
or concealed with such ready dexterity, as showed that the case was not
altogether so uncommon as to paralyze the assistants and officers of
Saladin's household.

But the Christian princes felt that the scene which they had beheld
weighed heavily on their spirits, and although, at the courteous
invitation of the Soldan, they assumed their seats at the banquet, yet
it was with the silence of doubt and amazement. The spirits of Richard
alone surmounted all cause for suspicion or embarrassment. Yet he too
seemed to ruminate on some proposition, as if he were desirous of making
it in the most insinuating and acceptable manner which was possible.
At length he drank off a large bowl of wine, and addressing the Soldan,
desired to know whether it was not true that he had honoured the Earl of
Huntingdon with a personal encounter.

Saladin answered with a smile that he had proved his horse and his
weapons with the heir of Scotland, as cavaliers are wont to do with each
other when they meet in the desert; and modestly added that, though the
combat was not entirely decisive, he had not on his part much reason to
pride himself on the event. The Scot, on the other hand, disclaimed the
attributed superiority, and wished to assign it to the Soldan.

"Enough of honour thou hast had in the encounter," said Richard, "and I
envy thee more for that than for the smiles of Edith Plantagenet, though
one of them might reward a bloody day's work.--But what say you, noble
princes? Is it fitting that such a royal ring of chivalry should break
up without something being done for future times to speak of? What is
the overthrow and death of a traitor to such a fair garland of h