"Why, God-a-mercy, I knew what he desired as soon as
ever he entered the pavilion! Here is one poor life justly
condemned to extinction, and I, a king and a soldier, who have
slain thousands by my command, and scores with my own hand, am to
have no power over it, although the honour of my arms, of my
house, of my very Queen, hath been attainted by the culprit. By
Saint George, it makes me laugh! By Saint Louis, it reminds me
of Blondel's tale of an enchanted castle, where the destined
knight was withstood successively in his purpose of entrance by
forms and figures the most dissimilar, but all hostile to his
undertaking! No sooner one sunk than another appeared! Wife
--kinswoman--hermit--Hakim-each appears in the lists as soon as
the other is defeated! Why, this is a single knight fighting
against the whole MELEE of the tournament--ha! ha! ha!" And
Richard laughed aloud; for he had, in fact, begun to change his
mood, his resentment being usually too violent to be of long
endurance.
The physician meanwhile looked on him with a countenance of
surprise, not unmingled with contempt; for the Eastern people
make no allowance for these mercurial changes in the temper, and
consider open laughter, upon almost any account, as derogatory to
the dignity of man, and becoming only to women and children.
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