ed, were of interest to
him, and seemed to form a link between him and the world.

After coming regularly every night for a week, she bade the young knight
follow her, holding her finger to her lips in sign that caution must be
observed. Passing through several passages, he was at length led into a
room where a lady of some forty years of age, surrounded by several
slaves and younger women, was sitting. Cuthbert felt no scruple in making
a deep obeisance to her; the respect shown to women in the days of
chivalry was very great, and Cuthbert in bowing almost to the ground
before the lady who was really his mistress, did not feel that he was
humiliating himself.

"Young slave," she said, "your story has interested us. We have
frequently watched from the windows, and have seen how willingly and
patiently you have worked; and it seems strange indeed that one so young
should have performed such feats of bravery as to win the honour of
knighthood from the hand of that greatest of warriors, Richard of
England. What is it, we would fain learn from your lips, that stirs up
the heart of the Christian world that they should launch their armies
against us, who wish but to be left alone, and who have no grudge against
them? This city is as holy to us as it is to you; and as we live around
it, and all the country for thousands of miles is ours, is it likely that
we should allow it to be wrested from us by strangers from a distance?"

This was spoken in some Eastern language of which Cuthbert understood no
word, but its purport was translated to him by the old woman who had
hitherto acted as his mistress's messenger.

Cuthbert reported the circumstances of the fight at Azotus and
endeavoured to explain the feelings which had given rise to the Crusade.
He then, at the orders of the lady, related the incidents of his voyage
out, and something of his life at home, which was more interesting even
than the tale of his adventures to his hearers, as to them the home-life
of these fierce Christian warriors was entirely unknown.

After an audience of two hours Cuthbert was conducted back to his cell,
his mistress assuring him of her good-will, and promising to do all in
her power to make his captivity as light as possible.

CHAPTER XIV.

AN EFFORT FOR FREEDOM.

Two or three nights afterwards the old woman again came to Cuthbert, and
asked him, in her mistress's name, if in any way he could suggest a
method of lightening his ca