Part 54 (1/2)

”Daughter,” he cried, ”with bitter grief we are come to ask of you a sacrifice, that you should give yourself for the people, as our Master gave Himself for the people. Saladin demands you as a fugitive of his blood, and until you are delivered to him he will not treat with us for the saving of the city. Come forth, then, we pray you.”

Now Rosamund rose and faced them, with her hand resting upon the altar.

”I risked my life and I believe another gave her life,” she said, ”that I might escape from the power of the Moslems. I will not come forth to return to them.”

”Then, our need being sore, we must take you,” answered Heraclius sullenly.

”What!” she cried. ”You, the patriarch of this sacred city, would tear me from the sanctuary of its holiest altar? Oh! then, indeed shall the curse fall upon it and you. Hence, they say, our sweet Lord was haled to sacrifice by the command of an unjust judge, and thereafter Jerusalem was taken by the sword. Must I too be dragged from the spot that His feet have hallowed, and even in these weeds”--and she pointed to her white robe--”thrown as an offering to your foes, who mayhap will bid me choose between death and the Koran? If so, I say a.s.suredly that offering will be made in vain, and a.s.suredly your streets shall run red with the blood of those who tore me from my sanctuary.”

Now they consulted together, some taking one side and some the other, but the most of them declared that she must be given up to Saladin.

”Come of your own will, I pray you,” said the patriarch, ”since we would not take you by force.”

”By force only will you take me,” answered Rosamund.

Then the abbess spoke.

”Sirs, will you commit so great a crime? Then I tell you that it cannot go without its punishment. With this lady I say”--and she drew up her tall shape--”that it shall be paid for in your blood, and mayhap in the blood of all of us. Remember my words when the Saracens have won the city, and are putting its children to the sword.”

”I absolve you from the sin,” shouted the patriarch, ”if sin it is.”

”Absolve yourself,” broke in Wulf sternly, ”and know this. I am but one man, but I have some strength and skill. If you seek but to lay a hand upon the novice Rosamund to hale her away to be slain by Saladin, as he has sworn that he would do should she dare to fly from him, before I die there are those among you who have looked the last upon the light.”

Then, standing there before the altar rails, he lifted his great blade and settled the skull-blazoned s.h.i.+eld upon his arm.

Now the patriarch raved and stormed, and one among them cried that they would fetch bows and shoot Wulf down from a distance.

”And thus,” broke in Rosamund, ”add murder to sacrilege! Oh!

sirs, bethink what you do--ay, and remember this, that you do it all in vain. Saladin has promised you nothing, except that if you deliver me to him, he will talk with you, and then you may find that you have sinned for nothing. Have pity on me and go your ways, leaving the issue in the hand of G.o.d.”

”That is true,” cried some. ”Saladin made no promises.”

Now Balian, the guardian of the city, who had followed them to the chapel and standing in the background heard what pa.s.sed there, stepped forward and said:

”My lord Patriarch, I pray you let this thing be, since from such a crime no good could come to us or any. That altar is the holiest and most noted place of sanctuary in all Jerusalem. Will you dare to tear a maiden from it whose only sin is that she, a Christian, has escaped the Saracens by whom she was stolen? Do you dare to give her back to them and death, for such will be her doom at the hands of Saladin? Surely that would be the act of cowards, and bring upon us the fate of cowards. Sir Wulf, put up your sword and fear nothing. If there is any safety in Jerusalem, your lady is safe. Abbess, lead her to her cell.”

”Nay,” answered the abbess with fine sarcasm, ”it is not fitting that we should leave this place before his Holiness.”

”Then you have not long to wait,” shouted the patriarch in fury.

”Is this a time for scruples about altars? Is this a time to listen to the prayers of a girl or to threats of a single knight, or the doubts of a superst.i.tious captain? Well, take your way and let your lives pay its cost. Yet I say that if Saladin asked for half the n.o.ble maidens in the city, it would be cheap to let him have them in payment for the blood of eighty thousand folk,” and he stalked towards the door.

So they went away, all except Wulf, who stayed to make sure that they were gone, and the abbess, who came to Rosamund and embraced her, saying that for the while the danger was past, and she might rest quiet.

”Yes, mother,” answered Rosamund with a sob, ”but oh! have I done right? Should I not have surrendered myself to the wrath of Saladin if the lives of so many hang upon it? Perhaps, after all, he would forget his oath and spare my life, though at best I should never be suffered to escape again while there is a castle in Baalbec or a guarded harem in Damascus. Moreover, it is hard to bid farewell to all one loves forever,” and she glanced towards Wulf, who stood out of hearing.

”Yes,” answered the abbess, ”it is hard, as we nuns know well.

But, daughter, that sore choice has not yet been thrust upon you.

When Saladin says that he sets you against the lives of all this cityful, then you must judge.”