r. Doubtless you will wish to speak awhile with these
your--brothers. Speak on and fear not, for it shall be my care
that you are left alone, if only for a little while. Yet walls
have ears, so I counsel you use that English tongue which none of
us understand in the land of Al-je-bal--not even I."

Then she bowed and went.

Chapter Thirteen: The Embassy

The brethren and Rosamund looked at each other, for having so
much to say it seemed that they could not speak at all. Then with
a low cry Rosamund said:

"Oh! let us thank God, Who, after all these black months of
travel and of danger, has thus brought us together again," and,
kneeling down there together in the guest-hall of the lord of
Death, they gave thanks earnestly. Then, moving to the centre of
the chamber where they thought that none would hear them, they
began to speak in low voices and in English.

"Tell you your tale first, Rosamund," said Godwin.

She told it as shortly as she could, they listening without a
word.

Then Godwin spoke and told her theirs. Rosamund heard it, and
asked a question almost in a whisper.

"Why does that beautiful dark-eyed woman befriend you?"

"I do not know," answered Godwin, "unless it is because of the
accident of my having saved her from the lion."

Rosamund looked at him and smiled a little, and Wulf smiled also.
Then she said:

"Blessings be on that lion and all its tribe! I pray that she may
not soon forget the deed, for it seems that our lives hang upon
her favour. How strange is this story, and how desperate our
case! How strange also that you should have come on hither
against her counsel, which, seeing what we have, I think was
honest?"

"We were led," answered Godwin. "Your father had wisdom at his
death, and saw what we could not see."

"Ay," added Wulf, "but I would that it had been into some other
place, for I fear this lord Al-je-bal at whose nod men hurl
themselves to death."

"He is hateful," answered Rosamund, with a shudder; "worse even
than the knight Lozelle; and when he fixes his eyes on me, my
heart grows sick. Oh! that we could escape this place!"

"An eel in an osier trap has more chance of freedom," said Wulf
gloomily. "Let us at least be thankful that we are caged
together--for how long, I wonder?"

As he spoke Masouda appeared, attended by waiting women, and,
bowing to Rosamund, said:

"It is the will of the Master, lady, that I lead you to the
chambers that have been made