ButalthoughEdithfelthersituationwithallthatdelicacywhichishersex’sgreatestcharm,itdidnotseemthatforamomentsheplacedherownbashfulnessincomparisonwiththeduty,which,asshethought,sheowedtohim,whohadbeenledintoerroranddangeronheraccount。Shedrew,indeed,herscarfmorecloselyoverherneckandbosom,andshehastilylaidfromherhandalamp,whichshedtoomuchlustreoverherfigure;but,whileSirKennethstoodmotionlessonthesamespotinwhichhewasfirstdiscovered,sherathersteppedtowardsthanretiredfromhim,assheexclaimed,Hastentoyourpost,valiantknight!-youaredeceivedinbeingtrainedhither-asknoquestions。’’
Ineedasknone,’’saidtheknight,sinkingupononeknee,withthereverentialdevotionofasaintatthealtar,andbendinghiseyesontheground,lesthislooksshouldincreasethelady’sembarrassment。
Haveyouheardall?’’saidEdith,impatiently-Gracioussaints!thenwhereforewaityouhere,wheneachminutethatpassesisloadedwithdishonour?’’
IhaveheardthatIamdishonoured,lady,andIhavehearditfromyou,’’answeredKenneth。WhatreckIhowsoonpunishmentfollows?Ihavebutonepetitiontoyou,andthenIseek,amongthesabresoftheinfidels,whetherdishonourmaynotbewashedoutwithblood。’’
Donotso,neither,’’saidthelady。Bewise-dallynothere-allmayyetbewell,ifyouwillbutusedespatch。’’
Iwaitbutforyourforgiveness,’’saidtheknight,stillkneeling,formypresumptioninbelievingmypoorservicescouldhavebeenrequiredorvaluedbyyou。’’
Idoforgiveyou-Oh,Ihavenothingtoforgive!-Ihavebeenthemeansofinjuringyou-Butoh,begone!-Iwillforgive-Iwillvalueyou-thatis,asIvalueeverybraveCrusader-ifyouwillbutbegone!’’
Receivefirstthispreciousyetfatalpledge,’’saidtheknight,tenderingtheringtoEdith,whonowshowedgesturesofimpatience。
Oh,no,no,’’shesaid,decliningtoreceiveit。Keepit-
keepitasamarkofmyregard-myregret,Iwouldsay。Oh,begone,ifnotforyourownsake,formine!’’
Almostrecompensedforthelossevenofhonour,whichhervoicehaddenouncedtohim,bytheinterestwhichsheseemedtotestifyinhissafety,SirKennethrosefromhisknee,and,castingamomentaryglanceonEdith,bowedlowandseemedabouttowithdraw。Atthesameinstant,thatmaidenlybashfulness,whichtheenergyofEdith’sfeelingshadtillthentriumphedover,becameconquerorinitsturn,andshehastenedfromtheapartment,extinguishingherlampasshewent,andleaving,inSirKenneth’sthoughts,bothmentalandnaturalgloombehindher。
Shemustbeobeyed,wasthefirstdistinctideawhichwakedhimfromhisreverie,andhehastenedtotheplacebywhichhehadenteredthepavilion。Topassunderthecanvasinthemannerhehadenteredrequiredtimeandattention,andhemadeareadieraperturebyslittingthecanvaswallwithhisponiard。
Wheninthefreeair,hefeltratherstupifiedandoverpoweredbyaconflictofsensations,thanabletoascertainwhatwastherealimportofthewhole。Hewasobligedtospurhimselftoaction,byrecollectingthatthecommandsoftheLadyEdithhadrequiredhaste。Eventhen,engagedashewasamongsttent-ropesandtents,hewascompelledtomovewithcautionuntilheshouldregainthepathoravenue,asidefromwhichthedwarfhadledhim,inordertoescapetheobservationoftheguards;
beforetheQueen’spavilion;andhewasobligedalsotomoveslowly,andwithprecaution,toavoidgivinganalarm,eitherbyfalling,orbytheclashingofhisarmour。Athincloudhadobscuredthemoon,too,attheveryinstantofhisleavingthetent,andSirKennethhadtostrugglewiththisinconvenienceatamomentwhenthedizzinessofhishead,andthefulnessofhisheart,scarcelefthimpowersofintelligencesufficienttodirecthismotions。
Butatoncesoundscameuponhisearwhichinstantlyrecalledhimtothefullenergyofhisfaculties。TheseproceededfromtheMountofSaintGeorge。Heheardfirstasinglefierce,angry,andsavagebark,whichwasimmediatelyfollowedbyayellofagony。NodeereverboundedwithawilderstartatthevoiceofRoswal,thandidSirKennethatwhathefearedwasthedeath-cryofthatnoblehound,fromwhomnoordinaryinjurycouldhaveextractedeventheslightestacknowledgmentofpain。
Hesurmountedthespacewhichdividedhimfromtheavenue,andhavingattainedit,begantoruntowardsthemount,althoughloadedwithhismail,fasterthanmostmencouldhaveaccompaniedhimevenifunarmed,relaxednothispaceforthesteepsidesoftheartificialmound,andinafewminutesstoodontheplatformuponitssummit。
Themoonbrokethroughthecloudatthismoment,andshowedhimthatthestandardofEnglandwasvanished,thatthespearonwhichitfloatedlaybrokenontheground,andbesideitwashisfaithfulhound,apparentlyintheagoniesofdeath-
Allmylongarrearofhonourlost,Reap’dupinyouth,andhoardedupforage,HathHonour’sfountainthensuck’dupthestream?
Hehath-andhootingboysmaybarefootpass,Andgatherpebblesfromthenakedford。
DonSebastian。
Afteratorrentofafflictingsensations,bywhichhewasatfirstalmoststunnedandconfounded,SirKenneth’sfirstthoughtwastolookfortheauthorsofthisviolationoftheEnglishbanner;
butinnodirectioncouldheseetracesofthem。Hisnext,whichtosomepersons,butscarcetoanywhohavemadeintimateacquaintancesamongthecaninerace,mayappearstrange,wastoexaminetheconditionofhisfaithfulRoswal,mortallywounded,asitseemed,indischargingthedutywhichhismasterhadbeenseducedtoabandon。Hecaressedthedyinganimal,who,faithfultothelast,seemedtoforgethisownpaininthesatisfactionhereceivedfromhismaster’spresence,andcontinuedwagginghistailandlickinghishand,evenwhilebylowmoaningsheexpressedthathisagonywasincreasedbytheattemptswhichSirKennethmadetowithdrawfromthewoundthefragmentofthelance,orjavelin,withwhichithadbeeninflicted;thenredoubledhisfeebleendearments,asiffearinghehadoffendedhismasterbyshowingasenseofthepaintowhichhisinterferencehadsubjectedhim。Therewassomethinginthedisplayofthedyingcreature’sattachment,whichmixedasabitteringredientwiththesenseofdisgraceanddesolationbywhichSirKennethwasoppressed。Hisonlyfriendseemedremovedfromhim,justwhenhehadincurredthecontemptandhatredofallbesides。
Theknight’sstrengthofmindgavewaytoaburstofagoniseddistress,andhegroanedandweptaloud。
Whilehethusindulgedhisgrief,aclearandsolemnvoice,closebesidehim,pronouncedthesewordsinthesonoroustoneofthereadersofthemosque,andintheLinguaFranca,mutuallyunderstoodbyChristiansandSaracens:-
Adversityisliketheperiodoftheformerandofthelatterrain-cold,comfortless,unfriendlytomanandtoanimal;yetfromthatseasonhavetheirbirththeflowerandthefruit,thedate,therose,andthepomegranate。’’
SirKennethoftheLeopardturnedtowardsthespeaker,andbeheldtheArabianphysician,who,approachingunheard,hadseatedhimselfalittlebehindhimcross-legged,andutteredwithgravity,yetnotwithoutatoneofsympathy,themoralsentencesofconsolationwithwhichtheKorananditscommentatorssuppliedhim;for,intheEast,wisdomisheldtoconsist,lessinadisplayofthesage’sowninventivetalents,thaninhisreadymemory,andhappyapplicationof,andreferenceto,thatwhichiswritten。’’
Ashamedatbeingsurprisedinawoman-likeexpressionofsorrow,SirKennethdashedhistearsindignantlyaside,andagainbusiedhimselfwithhisdyingfavourite。
Thepoethathsaid,’’continuedtheArab,withoutnoticingtheknight’savertedlooksandsullendeportment-`theoxforthefield,andthecamelforthedesert。’Werenotthehandoftheleechfitterthanthatofthesoldiertocurewounds,thoughlessabletoinflictthem?’’
Thispatient,Hakim,isbeyondthyhelp,’’saidSirKenneth;
and,besides,heis,bythylaw,anuncleananimal。’’
WhereAllahhathdeignedtobestowlife,andasenseofpainandpleasure,’’saidthephysician,itweresinfulprideshouldthesage,whomhehasenlightened,refusetoprolongexistence,orassuageagony。Tothesage,thecureofamiserablegroom,ofapoordog,andofaconqueringmonarch,areeventsoflittledistinction。Letmeexaminethiswoundedanimal。’’
SirKennethaccededinsilence,andthephysicianinspectedandhandledRoswal’swoundwithasmuchcareandattentionasifhehadbeenahumanbeing。Hethentookforthacaseofinstruments,and,bythejudiciousandskilfulapplicationofpincers,withdrewfromthewoundedshoulderthefragmentoftheweapon,andstoppedwithstypticsandbandagestheeffusionofbloodwhichfollowed;thecreatureallthewhilesufferinghimpatientlytoperformthesekindoffices,asifhehadbeenawareofhiskindintentions。
Theanimalmaybecured,’’saidElHakim,addressinghimselftoSirKenneth,ifyouwillpermitmetocarryhimtomytent,andtreathimwiththecarewhichthenoblenessofhisnaturedeserves。Forknow,thatthyservantAdonbecisnolessskilfulintheraceandpedigree,anddistinctionsofgooddogsandofnoblesteeds,thaninthediseaseswhichaffectthehumanrace。’’
Takehimwithyou,’’saidtheknight。Ibestowhimonyoufreelyifherecovers。Iowetheearewardforattendanceonmysquire,andhavenothingelsetopayitwith。Formyself,-Iwillneveragainwindbugle,orhallootohound!’’
TheArabianmadenoreply,butgaveasignalwithaclappingofhishands,whichwasinstantlyansweredbytheappearanceoftwoblackslaves。HegavethemhisordersinArabic,receivedtheanswer,thattohearwastoobey,’’when,takingtheanimalintheirarms,theyremovedhim,withoutmuchresistanceonhispart;forthoughhiseyesturnedtohismaster,hewastooweaktostruggle。
Faretheewell,Roswal,then,’’saidSirKenneth,-faretheewell,mylastandonlyfriend-thouarttoonobleapossessiontoberetainedbyonesuchasImustinfuturecallmyself-
Iwould,’’hesaid,astheslavesretired,that,dyingasheis,Icouldexchangeconditionswiththatnobleanimal。’’
Itiswritten,’’answeredtheArabian,althoughtheexclamationhadnotbeenaddressedtohim,thatallcreaturesarefashionedfortheserviceofman;andthemasteroftheearthspeakethfollywhenhewouldexchange,inhisimpatience,hishopeshereandtocome,fortheservileconditionofaninferiorbeing。’’
Adogwhodiesindischarginghisduty,’’saidtheknight,sternly,isbetterthanamanwhosurvivesthedesertionofit。
Leaveme,Hakim;thouhast,onthissideofmiracle,themostwonderfulsciencewhichmaneverpossessed,butthewoundsofthespiritarebeyondthypower。’’
Notifthepatientwillexplainhiscalamity,andbeguidedbythephysician,’’saidAdonbecelHakim。
Know,then,’’saidSirKenneth,sincethouartsoimportunate,thatlastnightthebannerofEnglandwasdisplayedfromthismound-Iwasitsappointedguardian-morningisnowbreaking-thereliesthebrokenbanner-spear,thestandarditselfislost-andheresitIalivingman!’’
How!’’saidElHakim,examininghim;thyarmouriswhole-thereisnobloodonthyweapons,andreportspeakstheeoneunlikelytoreturnthusfromfight-Thouhastbeentrainedfromthypost-ay,trainedbytherosycheekandblackeyeofoneofthosehouris,towhomyouNazarenesvowrathersuchserviceasisduetoAllah,thansuchloveasmaylawfullyberenderedtoformsofclaylikeourown。Ithasbeenthusassuredly;forsohathmaneverfallen,evensincethedaysofSultanAdam。’’
Andifitwereso,physician,’’saidSirKenneth,sullenly,whatremedy?’’
Knowledgeistheparentofpower,’’saidElHakim,asvaloursuppliesstrength-Listentome。Manisnotasatree,boundtoonespotofearth-norisheframedtoclingtoonebarerock,likethescarceanimatedshell-fish。ThineownChristianwritingscommandthee,whenpersecutedinonecity,tofleetoanother;andweMoslemalsoknowthatMohammed,theProphetofAllah,drivenforthfromtheholycityofMecca,foundhisrefugeandhishelpmatesatMedina。’’