‘What have I to forgive you, brother?’ said Richard.  ’Come, kiss me.  We were good friends in the old days.’  Saint-Pol, with tears, kissed him.  Richard sat up.

’I require you now, Saint-Pol and Des Barres, that between you you defend my son Fulke.  Milo has the deeds of his lands of Cuigny.  Bring him up a good knight, and let him think gentlier of his father than that father ever did of his.  Will you do this?  Make haste, make haste!’

The Queen broke in with a cry.  ’Oh, sire! oh, sire!  Is there nothing for me?  Madame!’ she turned to Jehane and held her fast by the knees, ’have pity, spare me a little, a very little work!  O Christ!  O Christ!’—­she rocked herself about—­’Can I do nothing in the world for my King?’

Jehane stooped to take her up.  ’Madame, watch over my little Fulke, when his father is gone, and I am gone.’  The Queen was crying bitterly.

‘I will never leave him if you will trust me,’ she began to say.  Richard put his band out.  ’Let it be so.  My lords, serve the Queen and me in this matter.’  The two lords bowed their heads, and the Queen tumbled to her sobbed prayers again.

The King’s eyes were almost gone; certainly he could not see out of them.  They understood his moving lips, ‘A sponge, quick.’

Jehane brought it and wiped his mouth; she could not see either for tears.  He gave a strong movement, wrenched his head up from her arm, then gave a great gasp, ‘Christ!  I am done!’ There followed on this a rush of blood which made all hearts stand still.  They wiped it away.  But Jehane saw that with that hot blood had gone his spirit.  She lifted high her head and let them read the truth from her eyes.  Then she put her lips upon his, and so stayed, and felt him grow cold below her warmth.  The fire was out.

They buried him at Fontevrault as he had directed, at the feet of his father.  King John was there with the peers of England, Normandy, and Anjou.  The Queen was there; but not Alois (unless behind the grille), and not King Philip, because he hated King John much worse than he ever hated Richard.  And Jehane was not there, nor Fulke of Anjou with his governors, because they had another business to perform.

Not all of King Richard was buried there, where the great effigy still marks the place of great dust.  Jehane had his heart in a casket, and with Fulke her son, Des Barres, her brother Saint-Pol, Gaston of Bearn, and the Abbot Milo, took it to the church of Rouen and saw it laid among the dead Dukes of Normandy; fitting sepulture for a heart as bold as any of theirs, and capable of more gentle music when the fine hand plucked the chords.  After this Jehane kissed Fulke and left him with the Queen, his uncle, and Guilhem des Barres.  Then she went back to her ship.

* * * * *

In the white palace in the green valley of Lebanon the Old Man of Musse embraced his wife.  ‘Moon of my soul, my Garden, my Treasure-house!’ he called her, and kissed her all over.