, when this was broached. 'This is no time
to talk of marriage. I have waited six months, and now the lady must
wait a while, other six if needs be. We leave this accursed island in
two days. Between my friends and my enemies I have fought the length and
breadth of it twice over. Am I to spend my whole host killing
Christians? A little more inactivity, good mother, and I shall be in
league with the Soldan against Philip. Bring the lady to Acre, and I
will marry her there.'

'No, no, Richard,' said the Queen-Mother; 'I am needed in England. I
cannot come.'

'Then let Joan take her,' said the King.

The Queen-Mother, knowing him very well, tried him no further. She sent
for Jehane, and held her close in talk for nearly an hour.

'Never leave my son, Jehane,' was the string she harped on. 'Never leave
him for good or ill weather. Mated or unmated, never leave him.'

'Never in life, Madame,' said Jehane, then bit her lip lest she should
utter what her mind was full of. But the Queen-Mother had no eyes.

'Pray for him,' she said; and Jehane, 'I pray hourly, Madame.' Then the
Queen kissed her on both cheeks, and in such kindness they parted.

CHAPTER II

OF WHAT JEHANE LOOKED FOR, AND WHAT BERENGERE HAD

Milo the abbot writes, 'When the spring airs, moving warmly over the
earth, ruffled the surface of the deep, and that to a tune so winning
that there was no thought of the treachery below, we took to the ships
and steered a course south-east by south. This was in the quindenes of
Easter. The two queens (if I may call them so, of whom one had been and
one hoped to be of that estate), Joan and Berengere, went in a great
ship which they call a dromond, a heavy-timbered ship carrying a crowd
of sail. With them, by request of Madame Berengere, went Countess
Jehane, not by any request of her own. The King himself led her aboard,
and by the hand into the state pavilion on the poop.

'"Madame," he said to his affianced, "I bring you your desired mate. Use
her as you would use me, for if I have a friend upon earth it is she."

'"Oh, sire," says Berengere, "I am acquainted with this lady. She has
nothing to fear from me."

'Queen Joan said nothing, being afraid of her brother. So Madame Jehane
kissed the hands of the pair of queens, meekly kneeling to each in turn;
and so far as I know she did them faithful service through all the
mischances of a voyage whereon every woman and every other man was
horribly sick.