Itiswell,’’saidDeVaux,slowlyandsolemnly;foritirksmesomewhattosaythatwhichsumsmymessage。ItisKingRichard’spleasurethatyouprepareforinstantdeath。’’
  God’spleasureandtheking’sbedone,’’repliedtheknight,patiently。Ineithercontestthejusticeofthesentence,nordesiredelayoftheexecution。’’
  DeVauxbegantoleavethetent,butveryslowly-pausedatthedoor,andlookedbackattheScot,fromwhoseaspectthoughtsoftheworldseemedbanished,asifhewascomposinghimselfintodeepdevotion。ThefeelingsofthestoutEnglishBaronwereingeneralnoneofthemostacute,andyet,onthepresentoccasion,hissympathyoverpoweredhiminanunusualmanner。Hecamehastilybacktothebundleofreedsonwhichthecaptivelay,tookoneofhisfetteredhands,andsaid,withasmuchsoftnessashisroughvoicewascapableofexpressing,SirKenneth,thouartyoung-yetthouhastafather。MyRalph,whomIlefttraininghislittlegallowaynagonthebanksoftheIrthing,mayonedayattainthyyears-and,butforlastnight,IwouldtoGodIsawhisyouthbearsuchpromiseasthine!-Cannothingbesaidordoneinthybehalf?’’
  Nothing,’’wasthemelancholyanswer。Ihavedesertedmycharge-thebannerintrustedtomeislost-whentheheadsmanandblockareprepared,theheadandtrunkarereadytopartcompany。’’
  Nay,then,Godhavemercy!’’saidDeVaux;yetwouldIratherthanmybesthorseIhadtakenthatwatchmyself。
  Thereismysteryinit,youngman,asaplainmanmaydescry,thoughhecannotseethroughit-Cowardice?pshaw!NocowardeverfoughtasIhaveseentheedo-Treachery?I
  cannotthinktraitorsdieintheirtreasonsocalmly。Thouhastbeentrainedfromthypostbysomedeepguile-somewell-devisedstratagem-thecryofsomedistressedmaidenhascaughtthineear,orthelaughfullookofsomemerryonehastakenthineeye。Neverblushforit,wehaveallbeenledasidebysuchgear。Come,Ipraythee,makeacleanconscienceofittome,insteadofthepriest。Richardismercifulwhenhismoodisabated。Hastthounothingtointrusttome?’’
  Theunfortunateknightturnedhisfacefromthekindwarrior,andanswered-=Nothing。=’’
  AndDeVaux,whohadexhaustedhistopicsofpersuasion,aroseandleftthetent,withfoldedarms,andinmelancholydeeperthanhethoughttheoccasionmerited-evenangrywithhimselftofindthatsosimpleamatterasthedeathofaScotsmancouldaffecthimsonearly。
  Yet,’’ashesaidtohimself,thoughtherough-footedknavesbeourenemiesinCumberland,inPalestineonealmostconsidersthemasbrethren。’’
  ’Tisnothersense-forsure,inthatThere’snothingmorethancommonAndallherwitisonlychat,Likeanyotherwoman。
  Song。
  Thehigh-bornBerengaria,daughterofSanchez,KingofNavarre,andtheQueen-ConsortoftheheroicRichard,wasaccountedoneofthemostbeautifulwomenoftheperiod。Herformwasslight,thoughexquisitelymoulded。Shewasgracedwithacomplexionnotcommoninhercountry,aprofusionoffairhair,andfeaturessoextremelyjuvenile,astomakeherlookseveralyearsyoungerthanshereallywas,thoughinrealityshewasnotaboveone-and-twenty。Perhapsitwasundertheconsciousnessofthisextremelyjuvenileappearance,thatsheaffected,oratleastpractised,alittlechildishpetulance,andwilfulnessofmanner,notunbefitting,shemightsuppose,ayouthfulbride,whoserankandagegaveherarighttohaveherfantasiesindulgedandattendedto。Shewasbynatureperfectlygood-humoured,andifherdueshareofadmirationandhomageinheropinionaverylargeonewasdulyresignedtoher,noonecouldpossessbettertemper,oramorefriendlydisposition;butthen,likealldespots,themorepowerthatwasvoluntarilyyieldedtoher,themoreshedesiredtoextendhersway。Sometimes,evenwhenallherambitionwasgratified,shechosetobealittleoutofhealth,andalittleoutofspirits;
  andphysicianshadtotoiltheirwitstoinventnamesforimaginarymaladies,whileherladiesrackedtheirimaginationfornewgames,newheadgear,andnewcourt-scandal,topassawaythoseunpleasanthours,duringwhichtheirownsituationwasscarcetobegreatlyenvied。Theirmostfrequentresourcefordivertingthismaladywassometrickorpieceofmischief,practiseduponeachother;andthegoodQueen,inthebuoyancyofherrevivingspirits,was,tospeaktruth,rathertooindifferentwhetherthefrolicsthuspractisedwereentirelybefittingherowndignity,orwhetherthepainwhichthosesuffereduponwhomtheywereinflictedwasnotbeyondtheproportionofpleasurewhichsheherselfderivedfromthem。
  Shewasconfidentinherhusband’sfavour,inherhighrank,andinhersupposedpowertomakegoodwhateversuchpranksmightcostothers。Inaword,shegamboledwiththefreedomofayounglioness,whoisunconsciousoftheweightofherownpawswhenlaidonthosewhomshesportswith。
  TheQueenBerengarialovedherhusbandpassionately,butshefearedtheloftinessandroughnessofhischaracter,andasshefeltherselfnottobehismatchinintellect,wasnotmuchpleasedtoseethathewouldoftentalkwithEdithPlantagenetinpreferencetoherself,simplybecausehefoundmoreamusementinherconversation,amorecomprehensiveunderstanding,andamorenoblecastofthoughtsandsentiments,thanhisbeautifulconsortexhibited。BerengariadidnothateEdithonthisaccount,farlessmeditateheranyharm:for,allowingforsomeselfishness,hercharacterwas,onthewhole,innocentandgenerous。Buttheladiesofhertrain,sharp-sightedinsuchmatters,hadforsometimediscoveredthatapoignantjestattheexpenseoftheLadyEdithwasaspecificforrelievingherGraceofEngland’slowspirits,andthediscoverysavedtheirimaginationmuchtoil。
  Therewassomethingungenerousinthis,becausetheLadyEdithwasunderstoodtobeanorphan;andthoughshewascalledPlantagenet,andtheFairMaidofAnjou,andadmittedbyRichardtocertainprivilegesonlygrantedtotheroyalfamily,andheldherplaceinthecircleaccordingly,yetfewknew;andnoneacquaintedwiththeCourtofEnglandventuredtoask,inwhatexactdegreeofrelationshipshestoodtoCurdeLion。ShehadcomewithEleanor,thecelebratedQueenMotherofEngland,andjoinedRichardatMessina,asoneoftheladiesdestinedtoattendonBerengaria,whosenuptialsthenapproached。Richardtreatedhiskinswomanwithmuchrespectfulobservance,andtheQueenmadeherhermostconstantattendant,and,evenindespiteofthepettyjealousywhichwehaveobserved,treatedher,generally,withsuitablerespect。
  Theladiesofthehouseholdhad,foralongtime,nofartheradvantageoverEdith,thanmightbeaffordedbyanopportunityofcensuringalessartfullydisposedheadattire,oranunbecomingrobe;fortheladywasjudgedtobeinferiorinthesemysteries。ThesilentdevotionoftheScottishKnightdidnot,indeed,passunnoticed;hisliveries,hiscognisance,hisfeatsofarms,hismottoesanddevices,werenearlywatched,andoccasionallymadethesubjectofapassingjest。ButthencamethepilgrimageoftheQueenandherladiestoEngaddi,ajourneywhichtheQueenhadundertakenunderavowfortherecoveryofherhusband’shealth,andwhichshehadbeenencouragedtocarryintoeffectbytheArchbishopofTyreforapoliticalpurpose。Itwasthen,andinthechapelatthatholyplace,connectedfromabovewithaCarmelitenunnery,frombeneathwiththecelloftheanchorite,thatoneoftheQueen’sattendantsremarkedthatsecretsignofintelligencewhichEdithhadmadetoherlover,andfailednotinstantlytocommunicateittoherMajesty。TheQueenreturnedfromherpilgrimageenrichedwiththisadmirablerecipeagainstdulnessorennui,andhertrainwasatthesametimeaugmentedbyapresentoftwowretcheddwarfsfromthedethronedQueenofJerusalem,asdeformedandascrazytheexcellenceofthatunhappyspeciesasanyQueencouldhavedesired。OneofBerengaria’sidleamusementshadbeentotrytheeffectofthesuddenappearanceofsuchghastlyandfantasticformsonthenervesoftheKnightwhenleftaloneinthechapel;butthejesthadbeenlostbythecomposureoftheScot,andtheinterferenceoftheanchorite。Shehadnowtriedanother,ofwhichtheconsequencespromisedtobemoreserious。
  TheladiesagainmetafterSirKennethhadretiredfromthetent;andtheQueen,atfirstlittlemovedbyEdith’sangryexpostulations,onlyrepliedtoherbyupbraidingherprudery,andbyindulgingherwitattheexpenseofthegarb,nation,and,aboveall,thepoverty,oftheKnightoftheLeopard,inwhichshedisplayedagooddealofplayfulmalice,mingledwithsomehumour,untilEdithwascompelledtocarryheranxietytoherseparateapartment。Butwhen,inthemorningafemalewhomEdithhadintrustedtomakeinquiry,broughtwordthatthestandardwasmissing,anditschampionvanished,sheburstintotheQueen’sapartment,andimploredhertoriseandproceedtotheKing’stentwithoutdelay,anduseherpowerfulmediationtopreventtheevilconsequencesofherjest。
  TheQueen,frightenedinherturn,cast,asisusual,theblameofherownfollyonthosearoundher,andendeavouredtocomfortEdith’sgrief,andappeaseherdispleasure,byathousandinconsistentarguments。Shewassurenoharmhadchanced-theknightwassleeping,shefancied,afterhisnight-watch。
  Whatthough,forfearoftheKing’sdispleasure,hehaddesertedwiththestandard-itwasbutapieceofsilk,andhebutaneedyadventurer-orifhewasputunderwardingforatime,shewouldsoongettheKingtopardonhim-itwasbutwaitingtoletRichard’smoodpassaway。
  Thusshecontinuedtalkingthickandfast,andheapingtogetherallsortsofinconsistencies,withthevainexpectationofpersuadingbothEdithandherselfthatnoharmcouldcomeofafrolic,whichinherheartshenowbitterlyrepented。ButwhileEdithinvainstrovetointerceptthistorrentofidletalk,shecaughttheeyeofoneoftheladieswhoenteredtheQueen’sapartment。Therewasdeathinherlookofaffrightandhorror,andEdith,atthefirstglanceofhercountenance,hadsunkatonceontheearth,hadnotstrongnecessity,andherownelevationofcharacter,enabledhertomaintainatleastexternalcomposure。
  Madam,’’shesaidtotheQueen,losenotanotherwordinspeaking,butsavelife-if,indeed,’’sheadded,hervoicechokingasshesaidit,lifemayyetbesaved。’’
  Itmay-itmay,’’answeredtheLadyCalista。IhavejustheardthathehasbeenbroughtbeforetheKing-itisnotyetover-but,’’sheadded,burstingintoavehementfloodofweeping,inwhichpersonalapprehensionshadsomeshare-itwillsoon-unlesssomecoursebetaken。’’
  IwillvowagoldencandlesticktotheHolySepulchre-ashrineofsilvertoourLadyofEngaddi-apall,worthonehundredbezants,toSaintThomasofOrthez,’’saidtheQueeninextremity。
  Up,up,madam!’’saidEdith;callonthesaintsifyoulist,butbeyourownbestsaint。’’
  Indeed,madam,’’saidtheterrifiedattendant,theladyEdithspeakstruth。Up,madam,andletustoKingRichard’stentandbegthepoorgentleman’slife。’’
  Iwillgo-Iwillgoinstantly,’’saidtheQueen,risingandtremblingexcessively;whileherwomen,inasgreatconfusionasherself,wereunabletorenderherthosedutieswhichwereindispensabletoherlevee。Calm,composed,onlypaleasdeath,EdithministeredtotheQueenwithherownhand,andalonesuppliedthedeficienciesofhernumerousattendants。
  Howyouwait,wenches!’’saidtheQueen,notableeventhentoforgetfrivolousdistinctions。SufferyetheLadyEdithtodothedutiesofyourattendance?-Seestthou,Edith,theycandonothing-Ishallneverbeattiredintime。WewillsendfortheArchbishopofTyre,andemployhimasamediator。’’
  Oh,no,no!’’exclaimedEdith-Goyourself,madam-
  youhavedonetheevil,doyouconfertheremedy。’’
  Iwillgo-Iwillgo,’’saidtheQueen;butifRichardbeinhismood,Idarenotspeaktohim-hewillkillme!’’
  Yetgo,graciousmadam,’’saidtheLadyCalista,whobestknewhermistress’stemper;notalioninhisfurycouldlookuponsuchafaceandform,andretainsomuchasanangrythought-farlessalove-trueknightliketheroyalRichard,towhomyourslightestwordwouldbeacommand。’’
  Dostthouthinkso,Calista?’’saidtheQueen。Ah,thoulittleknowest-yetIwillgo-Butseeyouhere-whatmeansthis?Youhavebedizenedmeingreen,acolourhedetests。Loyou!letmehaveabluerobe,and-searchfortherubycarcanet,whichwaspartoftheKingofCyprus’sransom-itiseitherinthesteelcasket,orsomewhereelse。’’