d slay us without mercy.
That, indeed, is a small thing, for what are our lives, of which
your sword has taken tithe, and not only yours, but those of the
twin brethren on the quay by the water?"

"I thought it," broke in Sir Andrew contemptuously. "Indeed, that
deed was worthy of you--twenty or more men against two."

Georgios held up his hand.

"Judge us not harshly," he said, speaking slowly, who, for his
own ends wished to gain time, "you who have read the letter of
our lord. See you, these were my commands: To secure the lady
Rose of the World as best I might, but if possible without
bloodshed. Now I was reconnoitring the country with a troop of
the sailors from my ship who are but poor fighters, and a few of
my own people, when my spies brought me word that she had ridden
out attended by only two men, and surely I thought that already
she was in my hands. But the knights foiled me by strategy and
strength, and you know the end of it. So afterwards my messenger
presented the letter, which, indeed, should have been done at
first. The letter failed also, for neither you, nor the
Princess"--and he bowed to Rosamund--"could be bought. More, the
whole country was awakened; you were surrounded with armed men,
the knightly brethren kept watch and ward over you, and you were
about to fly to London, where it would have been hard to snare
you. Therefore, because I must, I--who am a prince and an emir,
who also, although you remember it not, have crossed swords with
you in my youth; yes, at Harenc--became a dealer in drugged
wine.

"Now hearken. Yield you, Sir Andrew, who have done enough to make
your name a song for generations, and accept the love of
Salah-ed-din, whose word you have, the word that, as you know
well, cannot be broken, which I, the lord El-Hassan--for no
meaner man has been sent upon this errand--plight to you afresh.
Yield you, and save your life, and live on in honour, clinging
to your own faith, till Azrael takes you from the pleasant fields
of Baalbec to the waters of Paradise--if such there be for
infidels, however gallant.

"For know, this deed must be done. Did we return without the
princess Rose of the World, we should die, every one of us, and
did we offer her harm or insult, then more horribly than I can
tell you. This is no fancy of a great king that drives him on to
the stealing of a woman, although she be of his own high blood.
The voice of God has spoken to Salah-ed-din by the mouth of