ve a year or longer in which to prepare ourselves,
or to hide," said Rosamund. "His palmer must travel back to the
East before my uncle Saladin can have our answer."

"Ay," said Sir Andrew; "perhaps we have a year."

"What of the attack on the quay?" asked Godwin, who had been
thinking. "The knight Lozelle was named there. Yet if Saladin had
to do with it, it seems strange that the blow should have come
before the word."

Sir Andrew brooded a while, then said:

"Bring in this palmer. I will question him."

So the man Nicholas, who was found still eating as though his
hunger would never be satisfied, was brought in by Wulf. He bowed
low before the old knight and Rosamund, studying them the while
with his sharp eyes, and the roof and the floor, and every other
detail of the chamber. For those eyes of his seemed to miss
nothing.

"You have brought me a letter from far away, Sir Palmer, who are
named Nicholas," said Sir Andrew.

"I have brought you a chest from Damascus, Sir Knight, but of its
contents I know nothing. At least you will bear me witness that
it has not been tampered with," answered Nicholas.

"I find it strange," went on the old knight, "that one in your
holy garb should be chosen as the messenger of Saladin, with whom
Christian men have little to do."

"But Saladin has much to do with Christian men, Sir Andrew. Thus
he takes them prisoner even in times of peace, as he did me."

"Did he, then, take the knight Lozelle prisoner?"

"The knight Lozelle?" repeated the palmer. "Was he a big,
red-faced man, with a scar upon his forehead, who always wore a
black cloak over his mail?"

"That might be he."

"Then he was not taken prisoner, but he came to visit the Sultan
at Damascus while I lay in bonds there, for I saw him twice or
thrice, though what his business was I do not know. Afterwards he
left, and at Jaffa I heard that he had sailed for Europe three
months before I did."

Now the brethren looked at each other. So Lozelle was in
England. But Sir Andrew made no comment, only he said: "Tell me
your story, and be careful that you speak the truth."

"Why should I not, who have nothing to hide?" answered Nicholas.
"I was captured by some Arabs as I journeyed to the Jordan upon a
pilgrimage, who, when they found that I had no goods to be
robbed of, would have killed me. This, indeed, they were about to
do, had not some of Saladin's soldiers come by and commanded
them to hold their hands and giv