‘You will do as you choose, my lord,’ said she, ‘I doubt not.’

‘Be quite sure of it, dear child,’ said the Old Man.

Then he sent her back into the harem.

CHAPTER IX

HOW KING RICHARD REAPED WHAT JEHANE HAD SOWED, AND THE SOLDAN WAS
GLEANER

’Consider with anxious care the marrow of your master when he is fortunate,’ writes Milo of Poictiers:  ’if it lasts him, he is a slow spender of his force; but on that account all the more dangerous in adversity, having the deeper funds.  By this I would be understood to imply that the devil of Anjou, turned to fighting uses in King Richard’s latter years, found him a habitable fortalice.’  With the best reasons in life for the reflection, he might have said it more simply; for it is simply true.  Deserted by his allies, balked of his great aspiration, within a day’s march of the temple of God, yet as far from that as from his castle of Chinon; eaten with fever; having death, lost purpose, murmurings, fed envy reproach, upon his conscience—­he yet fought his way through sullen leagues of mud to Ascalon; besieged it, drove his enemy out, regained it.  Thence, pushing quickly south, he surprised Darum, and put the garrison to the sword.  By this act he cut Saladin in two, and drove such a wedge into the body of his empire as might leave either lung of it at his mercy.  The time seemed, indeed, ripe for negotiation.  Saladin sent his brother down from Jerusalem with presents of hawks; Richard, sitting in armed state at Darum, received him affably.  There was still a chance that treaty might win for Jesus Christ what the sword had not won.

Then, as if in mockery of the greatness of men, came ill news apace.  The Frenchmen, back in Acre, heard tell of Montferrat’s doings and undoing.  Pretty work of this sort perturbed the allies.  The Duke of Burgundy charged Saladin with the murder; Saint-Pol loudly charged King Richard, and the Duke’s death, coming timely, left him in the field.  He made the most of his chance, wrote to the Emperor, to King Philip, to his cousin the Archduke of Austria (at home by now), of this last shameful deed of the red Angevin.  He even sent messengers to Richard himself with open letters of accusal.  Richard laughed, but for all that broke off negotiations with Saladin until he could prove Saint-Pol as great a liar as he himself knew him to be.  Then rose up again the question of the Crown of Jerusalem.  The Count of Champagne took ship and came to Darum to beg it of Richard.  He too brought news with him.  The Duke of Burgundy was dead of an apoplexy.  ’It seems that God is still faintly on my side,’ said Richard, ‘There went out a sooty candle.’

The next words gave his boast the lie.  ‘Beau sire,’ said Count Henry, ’I grieve to tell you something more.  Before I left Acre I saw the Abbot Milo.’

Richard had grey streaks in his face.  ‘Ah,’ he says hoarsely, ’go on, cousin.’  The young man stammered.