es; that I rather love noble demoiselles;
and that I am by nature more inclined to command than to obey; in short,
that I will neither be a warrior monk nor a monk in minster. And so the
great bell of the castle of St. Katherine tolled, and we parted; and at
daybreak he mounts to ride to the castle of Kakhow, which the knights of
his Order hold.

'And now, good Walter,' said Guy, 'having fulfilled your mission, for
such you deemed it, you will return to England with a light heart.'

But Walter Espec only sighed, as his thoughts reverted to Adeline de
Brienne and to the great gulf that seemed to interpose between them.

CHAPTER XLII.

HOMEWARD BOUND.

ON the vigil of St. Mark, after Easter, the Crusaders having mustered at
Acre, flocked on board their ships and prepared to set sail for Europe.
On that day also the King of France, leaving Geoffrey de Segrines with a
hundred knights to aid in the defence of what remained of the once grand
kingdom of Godfrey and the Baldwins, left the palace which he had
occupied, and, attended by the papal legate, the Patriarch of Jerusalem,
and the Christian nobles and knights of Palestine, walked on foot to the
port, amid an immense crowd assembled to witness his departure, who all,
while lamenting his departure, applauded him as the Father of the
Christians, and implored Heaven to shower blessings on his head.

'This is the day of St. Mark, seneschal,' said Louis to Joinville, as
they went on board; 'and on St. Mark's-day was I born at Poissy.'

'Sire,' replied Joinville, 'you may well say that you have been born
again on St. Mark's-day; for you are escaping from a pestilent land,
where you have remained so long.'

Bisset, the English knight, resolute to his purpose, had taken farewell
of his companions, and embarked for Constantinople, to wield his
ponderous battle-axe in the cause of Baldwin de Courtenay, whose empire
was falling to ruins. But Walter Espec and Guy Muschamp were on board
the king's vessel, through the influence of the Lord of Joinville; and
there also was Beltran the renegade, who, touched with remorse, had
abandoned his wealth in Egypt, and was doing penance by labouring as a
seaman.

At length the fleet weighed anchor and set sail, with every prospect of
a prosperous voyage. But, ere long, a somewhat alarming accident
occurred. On Saturday, as the French approached Cyprus, about vespers,
the vessels were suddenly enveloped in a thick fog, and the sh