e.'

'Hush!' said a figure, stealing into the caverned chamber, and then
throwing off his Syrian cloak, revealing to her one whom she recognised.

'Fakredeen,' she said, starting from her couch, 'what is all this?'

The countenance of Fakredeen was distressed and agitated; there was an
expression of alarm, almost of terror, stamped upon his features.

'You must follow me,' he said; 'there is not a moment to lose; you must
fly!'

'Why and whither?' said Eva. 'This capture is one of plunder not of
malice, or was so a few hours back. It is not sorrow for myself that
overwhelmed me. But yesterday, the sovereign of these mountains treated
me with a generous sympathy, and, if it brought me no solace, it was
only because events have borne, I fear, irremediable woe. And now I
suddenly find myself among my friends; friends, who, of all others, I
should most have wished to encounter at this moment, and all is changed.
I am a prisoner, under every circumstance of harshness, even of cruelty,
and you speak to me as if my life, my immediate existence, was in
peril.'

'It is.'

'But why?'

Fakredeen wrung his hands, and murmured, 'Let us go.'

'I scarcely care to live,' said Eva; 'and I will not move until you give
me some clue to all this mystery.'

'Well, then, she is jealous of you; the Queen, Astarte; she is jealous
of you with the English prince, that man who has brought us all so many
vexations.' 'Is it he that has brought us so many vexations?' replied
Eva. 'The Queen jealous of me, and with the English prince! 'Tis very
strange. We scarcely exchanged a dozen sentences together, when all was
disturbed and broken up. Jealous of me! Why, then, was she anxious that
I should descend to her divan? This is not the truth, Fakredeen.'

'Not all; but it is the truth; it is, indeed. The Queen is jealous of
you: she is in love with Tancred; a curse be on him and her both! and
somebody has told her that Tancred is in love with you.' 'Somebody! When
did they tell her?' 'Long ago; long ago. She knew, that is, she had been
told, that Tancred was affianced to the daughter of Besso of Damascus;
and so this sudden meeting brought about a crisis. I did what I could
to prevent it; vowed that you were only the cousin of the Besso that she
meant; did everything, in short, I could to serve and save you; but it
was of no use. She was wild, is wild, and your life is in peril.'

Eva mused a moment. Then, looking up, she said, 'Fakredeen, i