The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-05-02
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
By RIDER. HAGGARD,


"Our cousin, the Lady Rosamund,
who, by your command, was stolen
from our home in England"
knights, she is your cousin, that I
know, as surely as l know that she Is
my niece. Tell me now. is she aught
more to your and he searched them
with those piercing eyes.
Goodwin looked at Wulf, who said in
English:
Speak the whole truth, brother.
From that man nothing can be hid"
Then Goodwin answered.:
Sire we love her and are affianced
to her"
Tie sultan stared at them in surprise.
what! Both of you?" he asked.
yes, both"
And doth she love you bothT'
YES" replied Goodwin, both, or so
she says"
Saladin stroked his beard and con-
sidered them, while Hassan smiled q
little.
Then, knights" he said presently,
''tell me which of you does she love
best?"
'"That, SIRE is known to her alone
When the time comes she will say, and
not before"
II perceive" said Saladin, that be-
hind this riddle hides a story. If it is
your good pleasure, be seated and set it
out to me-"
So they sat down on the divan and
obeyed, keeping nothing back from the
beginning to the end, nor, although the
tale was long, did the sultan weary Of
listening.
"a great story, truly" he said when
at length they had finished, "and one in
which l seem to see the hand of Allah.
Now, listen. The tale that those two
Frankish knaves, the priest and the
false knight Lozelle, told to you was
true. AS l wrote to your uncle in my
letter, Il dreamed dream. Thrice
dreamed 1T, that this niece of mine lived
and that il / could bring her here to
dwell at my side she should save the
shedding of much blood by some noble
deed of hers--ayc, of the blood of tens
of thousands-and in that dream / saw
her face. Therefore / stretched out my
arm and took her from far away. And
now, through you-yes, through YOU
she has been snatched from the power
Of the great assassin and Is safe in my
court, and therefore henceforth 1 am
your friend"
"sire, have you seen her" asked
Goodwin.
knights, have seen her, and the
face is the face of my dreams, and
therefore 1 know full surely that in
those dreams God spoke. Listen, Sir
Goodwin and Sir Wulf," Saladin went
on in a changed voice, a stern. COM
manding voice. ASK of me what you
will, and, Franks though you are, 1t
shall be given you for your services
sake-wealth, lands, titles, all that men
desire and l can grant-but ask not Of
me my niece. Rose of the World, Prin.
cess of Baalbec, whom Allah has
brought to me for his own purposes.
Know, moreover, that If you strive to
steal her away you shall certainty die
and that if she escapes from me and
recapture her, then she shall die. These
things l have told her already, and
swear them in the name of Allah. Hero
she is, and in my house she must abide
until the vision be fulfilled
Now. in their dismay the brethren
looked at each other, for they seemed
further from their desire than they had
been even in the castle of Sinan. Then
a light broke upon the face of Goodwin.
and he stood up and answered:
DREAD lord Of all the east, we hear
you and we know our risk. You have
given us your friendship. We accept
it and are thankful and seek no more
God, you say, has brought our lady
Rosamund to you for his own pur-
poses, Of which you have no doubt
since her face is the very face of your
dreams. Then let his purposes be ac
complished according to his will, which
may be in some way that we little
guess"
well spoken" replied Saladin. 81
have warned you. my guests. There
fore blame me not IL l keep my word,
but 1 ask no promise from you who
would not tempt noble knights to lie.
Yes. Allah has set this strange riddle.
By Allah let it be answered in his sea-
son."