as whispered, perhaps completed the
confusion of the Marquis's nerves, for he stumbled as he made to horse;
and though he recovered his feet, sprung to the saddle with his usual
agility, and displayed his address in horsemanship as he assumed his
position opposite to the challenger's, yet the accident did not escape
those who were on the watch for omens, which might predict the fate of
the day.

The priests, after a solemn prayer that God would show the rightful
quarrel, departed from the lists. The trumpets of the challenger then
rung a flourish, and the herald-at-arms proclaimed at the eastern end
of the lists,--"Here stands a good knight, Sir Kenneth of Scotland,
champion for the royal King Richard of England, who accuseth Conrade,
Marquis of Montserrat, of foul treason and dishonor done to the said
King."

When the words Kenneth of Scotland announced the name and character of
the champion, hitherto scarce generally known, a loud and cheerful
acclaim burst from the followers of King Richard, and hardly,
notwithstanding repeated commands of silence, suffered the reply of the
defendant to be heard. He, of course, avouched his innocence, and
offered his body for battle. The esquires of the combatants now
approached, and delivered to each his shield and lance, assisting to
hang the former around his neck, that his two hands might remain free,
one for the management of the bridle, the other to direct the lance.

The shield of the Scot displayed his old bearing, the leopard, but with
the addition of a collar and broken chain, in allusion to his late
captivity. The shield of the Marquis bore, in reference to his title, a
serrated and rocky mountain. Each shook his lance aloft, as if to
ascertain the weight and toughness of the unwieldy weapon, and then laid
it in the rest. The sponsors, heralds, and squires, now retired to the
barriers, and the combatants sat opposite to each other, face to face,
with couched lance and closed visor, the human form so completely
enclosed, that they looked more like statues of molten iron than beings
of flesh and blood. The silence of suspense was now general--men
breathed thicker, and their very souls seemed seated in their eyes,
while not a sound was to be heard save the snorting and pawing of the
good steeds, who, sensible of what was about to happen, were impatient
to dash into career. They stood thus for perhaps three minutes, when at
a signal given by the Soldan, an hundred instrumen