alter, 'all this is so curious that, were it a time
of truce, I should be tempted to adventure up this river and behold some
of the strange things of which you tell. But here comes my lord.' And,
as he spoke, the Earl of Salisbury rode up, and, while Walter held the
stirrup, dismounted.

Immediately the stranger stepped forward, and, humbling himself, with
respect offered Salisbury some lard in pots, and a variety of
sweet-smelling flowers.

'I bring them to you, noble earl,' said the man, in French, 'because you
are cousin of Prince Richard, who is called Earl of Cornwall, and
because you are nephew of the Crusader whose memory is held in most
respect and dread by the Saracens.'

'Of whom speak you?' asked Salisbury, a little surprised.

'I speak of King Richard of England,' was the reply; 'for he performed
such deeds when he was in the Holy Land that the Saracens, when their
horses are frightened at a bush or a shadow, cry out, "What! dost think
King Richard is there?" In like manner, when their children cry, their
mothers say to them, "Hush, hush! or I will bring King Richard of
England to you."'

'On my faith!' said the earl, looking more and more surprised, 'I cannot
comprehend you; for, albeit speaking French, and wearing the dress of a
Frank, you seem from your words to be an inhabitant of this country.'

'It is true,' replied the man, slowly. 'You must know that I am a
Christian renegade.'

'A Christian renegade!' exclaimed Salisbury, with pious horror. And then
asked, 'But who are you, and why became you a renegade?'

'Well, it came to pass in this wise,' answered the man, frankly. 'I was
born in Poictiers, whence I followed Richard, Earl of Cornwall, to the
East, and found my way to Egypt, where I have acquired some wealth.'

'But,' demanded the earl, indignantly, 'know you not that if you were to
die while leading your present life, you would descend straight to hell,
and be for ever damned?'

'In truth,' replied the man, 'I know full well that there is not a
better religion than that of the Christians. But what can I do? Suppose
I returned to it and had to go back to France, I should assuredly suffer
great poverty, and be continually reproached all my days, and be called
"Renegado! renegado!"'

'Even with that prospect you ought not to hesitate,' said the earl; 'for
surely it would be much better to suffer the scorn of the world than
await your sentence in the day of judgment, when your evil dee