Now from that day forward Saladin held the brethren in great friendship, and pressed gifts upon them and offered them honours.  But they refused them all, saying that they needed but one thing of him, and he knew what it was—­an answer at which his face sank.

One morning he sent for them, and, except for the presence of prince Hassan, the most favourite of his emirs, and a famous imaum, or priest of his religion, received them alone.

“Listen,” he said briefly, addressing Godwin.  “I understand that my niece, the princess of Baalbec, is beloved by you.  Good.  Subscribe the Koran, and I give her to you in marriage, for thus also she may be led to the true faith, whom I have sworn not to force thereto, and I gain a great warrior and Paradise a brave soul.  The imaum here will instruct you in the truth.”

Thus he spoke, but Godwin only stared at him with eyes set wide in wonderment, and answered: 

“Sire, I thank you, but I cannot change my faith to win a woman, however dearly I may love her.”

“So I thought,” said Saladin with a sigh, “though indeed it is sad that superstition should thus blind so brave and good a man.  Now, Sir Wulf, it is your turn.  What say you to my offer?  Will you take the princess and her dominions with my love thrown in as a marriage portion?”

Wulf thought a moment, and as he thought there arose in his mind a vision of an autumn afternoon that seemed years and years ago, when they two and Rosamund had stood by the shrine of St. Chad on the shores of Essex, and jested of this very matter of a change of faith.  Then he answered, with one of his great laughs: 

“Ay, sire, but on my own terms, not on yours, for if I took these I think that my marriage would lack blessings.  Nor, indeed, would Rosamund wish to wed a servant of your Prophet, who if it pleased him might take other wives.”

Saladin leant his head upon his hand, and looked at them with disappointed eyes, yet not unkindly.

“The knight Lozelle was a Cross-worshipper,” he said, “but you two are very different from the knight Lozelle, who accepted the Faith when it was offered to him—­”

“To win your trade,” said Godwin, bitterly.

“I know not,” answered Saladin, “though it is true the man seems to have been a Christian among the Franks, who here was a follower of the Prophet.  At least, he is dead at your hands, and though he sinned against me and betrayed my niece to Sinan, peace be with his soul.  Now I have one more thing to say to you.  That Frank, Prince Arnat of Karak, whom you call Reginald de Chatillon—­accursed be his name!—­” and he spat upon the ground, “has once more broken the peace between me and the king of Jerusalem, slaughtering my merchants, and stealing my goods.  I will suffer this shame no more, and very shortly I unfurl my standards, which shall not be folded up again until they float upon the mosque of Omar and from every tower top in Palestine.  Your people are doomed.  I, Yusuf Salah-ed-din,” and he rose as he said the words, his very beard bristling with wrath, “declare the Holy War, and will sweep them to the sea.  Choose now, you brethren.  Do you fight for me or against me?  Or will you give up your swords and bide here as my prisoners?”