“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 shield 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 God.”

“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 passed 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 superstitious captain?  Well, take your way and let your lives pay its cost.  Yet I say that if Saladin asked for half the noble 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.