ds with the young Saladin, and with his sister
Zobeide, whom I met secretly in the gardens of the palace. The
rest may be guessed. Although she numbered but half my years, she
loved me as I loved her, and for my sake offered to change her
faith and fly with me to England if opportunity could be found,
which was hard.

"Now, as it chanced, I had a friend, a dark and secret man named
Jebal, the young sheik of a terrible people, whose cruel rites no
Christian understands. They are the subjects of one Mahomet, in
Persia, and live in castles at Masyaf, on Lebanon. This man had
been in alliance with the Franks, and once in a battle I saved
his life from the Saracens at the risk of my own, whereon he
swore that did I summon him from the ends of the earth he would
come to me if I needed help. Moreover, he gave me his signet-ring
as a token, and, by virtue of it, so he said, power in his
dominions equal to his own, though these I never visited. You
know it," and holding up his hand, Sir Andrew showed them a heavy
gold ring, in which was set a black stone, with red veins running
across the stone in the exact shape of a dagger, and beneath the
dagger words cut in unknown characters.

"So in my plight I bethought me of Jebal, and found means to send
him a letter sealed with his ring. Nor did he forget his promise,
for within twelve days Zobeide and I were galloping for Beirut on
two horses so swift that all the cavalry of Ayoub could not
overtake them. We reached the city, and there were married,
Rosamund. There too your mother was baptised a Christian. Thence,
since it was not safe for us to stay in the East, we took ship
and came safe home, bearing this ring of Jebal with us, for I
would not give it up, as his servants demanded that I should do,
except to him alone. But before that vessel sailed, a man
disguised as a fisherman brought me a message from Ayoub and his
son Saladin, swearing that they would yet recapture Zobeide, the
daughter of one of them and sister of the other.

"That is the story, and you see that their oath has not been
forgotten, though when in after years they learned of my wife's
death, they let the matter lie. But since then Saladin, who in
those days was but a noble youth, has become the greatest sultan
that the East has ever known, and having been told of you,
Rosamund, by that traitor Lozelle, he seeks to take you in your
mother's place, and, daughter, I tell you that I fear him."

"At least we ha