nd answered:

"Sire, I thank you, but I cannot change my faith to win a woman,
however dearly I may love her."

"So I thought," said Saladin with a sigh, "though indeed it is
sad that superstition should thus blind so brave and good a man.
Now, Sir Wulf, it is your turn. What say you to my offer? Will
you take the princess and her dominions with my love thrown in as
a marriage portion?"

Wulf thought a moment, and as he thought there arose in his mind
a vision of an autumn afternoon that seemed years and years ago,
when they two and Rosamund had stood by the shrine of St. Chad on
the shores of Essex, and jested of this very matter of a change
of faith. Then he answered, with one of his great laughs:

"Ay, sire, but on my own terms, not on yours, for if I took these
I think that my marriage would lack blessings. Nor, indeed, would
Rosamund wish to wed a servant of your Prophet, who if it pleased
him might take other wives."

Saladin leant his head upon his hand, and looked at them with
disappointed eyes, yet not unkindly.

"The knight Lozelle was a Cross-worshipper," he said, "but you
two are very different from the knight Lozelle, who accepted the
Faith when it was offered to him--"

"To win your trade," said Godwin, bitterly.

"I know not," answered Saladin, "though it is true the man seems
to have been a Christian among the Franks, who here was a
follower of the Prophet. At least, he is dead at your hands, and
though he sinned against me and betrayed my niece to Sinan,
peace be with his soul. Now I have one more thing to say to you.
That Frank, Prince Arnat of Karak, whom you call Reginald de
Chatillon--accursed be his name!--" and he spat upon the ground,
"has once more broken the peace between me and the king of
Jerusalem, slaughtering my merchants, and stealing my goods. I
will suffer this shame no more, and very shortly I unfurl my
standards, which shall not be folded up again until they float
upon the mosque of Omar and from every tower top in Palestine.
Your people are doomed. I, Yusuf Salah-ed-din," and he rose as
he said the words, his very beard bristling with wrath, "declare
the Holy War, and will sweep them to the sea. Choose now, you
brethren. Do you fight for me or against me? Or will you give up
your swords and bide here as my prisoners?"

"We are the servants of the Cross," answered Godwin, "and cannot
lift steel against it and thereby lose our souls." Then he spoke
with Wulf, and added, "