ButalthoughEdithfelthersituationwithallthatdelicacywhichishersex’sgreatestcharm，itdidnotseemthatforamomentsheplacedherownbashfulnessincomparisonwiththeduty，which，asshethought，sheowedtohim，whohadbeenledintoerroranddangeronheraccount。Shedrew，indeed，herscarfmorecloselyoverherneckandbosom，andshehastilylaidfromherhandalamp，whichshedtoomuchlustreoverherfigure；but，whileSirKennethstoodmotionlessonthesamespotinwhichhewasfirstdiscovered，sherathersteppedtowardsthanretiredfromhim，assheexclaimed，Hastentoyourpost，valiantknight！-youaredeceivedinbeingtrainedhither-asknoquestions。’’
Ineedasknone，’’saidtheknight，sinkingupononeknee，withthereverentialdevotionofasaintatthealtar，andbendinghiseyesontheground，lesthislooksshouldincreasethelady’sembarrassment。
Haveyouheardall？’’saidEdith，impatiently-Gracioussaints！thenwhereforewaityouhere，wheneachminutethatpassesisloadedwithdishonour？’’
IhaveheardthatIamdishonoured，lady，andIhavehearditfromyou，’’answeredKenneth。WhatreckIhowsoonpunishmentfollows？Ihavebutonepetitiontoyou，andthenIseek，amongthesabresoftheinfidels，whetherdishonourmaynotbewashedoutwithblood。’’
Donotso，neither，’’saidthelady。Bewise-dallynothere-allmayyetbewell，ifyouwillbutusedespatch。’’
Iwaitbutforyourforgiveness，’’saidtheknight，stillkneeling，formypresumptioninbelievingmypoorservicescouldhavebeenrequiredorvaluedbyyou。’’
Idoforgiveyou-Oh，Ihavenothingtoforgive！-Ihavebeenthemeansofinjuringyou-Butoh，begone！-Iwillforgive-Iwillvalueyou-thatis，asIvalueeverybraveCrusader-ifyouwillbutbegone！’’
Receivefirstthispreciousyetfatalpledge，’’saidtheknight，tenderingtheringtoEdith，whonowshowedgesturesofimpatience。
Oh，no，no，’’shesaid，decliningtoreceiveit。Keepit-
keepitasamarkofmyregard-myregret，Iwouldsay。Oh，begone，ifnotforyourownsake，formine！’’
Almostrecompensedforthelossevenofhonour，whichhervoicehaddenouncedtohim，bytheinterestwhichsheseemedtotestifyinhissafety，SirKennethrosefromhisknee，and，castingamomentaryglanceonEdith，bowedlowandseemedabouttowithdraw。Atthesameinstant，thatmaidenlybashfulness，whichtheenergyofEdith’sfeelingshadtillthentriumphedover，becameconquerorinitsturn，andshehastenedfromtheapartment，extinguishingherlampasshewent，andleaving，inSirKenneth’sthoughts，bothmentalandnaturalgloombehindher。
Shemustbeobeyed，wasthefirstdistinctideawhichwakedhimfromhisreverie，andhehastenedtotheplacebywhichhehadenteredthepavilion。Topassunderthecanvasinthemannerhehadenteredrequiredtimeandattention，andhemadeareadieraperturebyslittingthecanvaswallwithhisponiard。
Wheninthefreeair，hefeltratherstupifiedandoverpoweredbyaconflictofsensations，thanabletoascertainwhatwastherealimportofthewhole。Hewasobligedtospurhimselftoaction，byrecollectingthatthecommandsoftheLadyEdithhadrequiredhaste。Eventhen，engagedashewasamongsttent-ropesandtents，hewascompelledtomovewithcautionuntilheshouldregainthepathoravenue，asidefromwhichthedwarfhadledhim，inordertoescapetheobservationoftheguards；
beforetheQueen’spavilion；andhewasobligedalsotomoveslowly，andwithprecaution，toavoidgivinganalarm，eitherbyfalling，orbytheclashingofhisarmour。Athincloudhadobscuredthemoon，too，attheveryinstantofhisleavingthetent，andSirKennethhadtostrugglewiththisinconvenienceatamomentwhenthedizzinessofhishead，andthefulnessofhisheart，scarcelefthimpowersofintelligencesufficienttodirecthismotions。
Butatoncesoundscameuponhisearwhichinstantlyrecalledhimtothefullenergyofhisfaculties。TheseproceededfromtheMountofSaintGeorge。Heheardfirstasinglefierce，angry，andsavagebark，whichwasimmediatelyfollowedbyayellofagony。NodeereverboundedwithawilderstartatthevoiceofRoswal，thandidSirKennethatwhathefearedwasthedeath-cryofthatnoblehound，fromwhomnoordinaryinjurycouldhaveextractedeventheslightestacknowledgmentofpain。
Hesurmountedthespacewhichdividedhimfromtheavenue，andhavingattainedit，begantoruntowardsthemount，althoughloadedwithhismail，fasterthanmostmencouldhaveaccompaniedhimevenifunarmed，relaxednothispaceforthesteepsidesoftheartificialmound，andinafewminutesstoodontheplatformuponitssummit。
Themoonbrokethroughthecloudatthismoment，andshowedhimthatthestandardofEnglandwasvanished，thatthespearonwhichitfloatedlaybrokenontheground，andbesideitwashisfaithfulhound，apparentlyintheagoniesofdeath-
Allmylongarrearofhonourlost，Reap’dupinyouth，andhoardedupforage，HathHonour’sfountainthensuck’dupthestream？
Hehath-andhootingboysmaybarefootpass，Andgatherpebblesfromthenakedford。
DonSebastian。
Afteratorrentofafflictingsensations，bywhichhewasatfirstalmoststunnedandconfounded，SirKenneth’sfirstthoughtwastolookfortheauthorsofthisviolationoftheEnglishbanner；
butinnodirectioncouldheseetracesofthem。Hisnext，whichtosomepersons，butscarcetoanywhohavemadeintimateacquaintancesamongthecaninerace，mayappearstrange，wastoexaminetheconditionofhisfaithfulRoswal，mortallywounded，asitseemed，indischargingthedutywhichhismasterhadbeenseducedtoabandon。Hecaressedthedyinganimal，who，faithfultothelast，seemedtoforgethisownpaininthesatisfactionhereceivedfromhismaster’spresence，andcontinuedwagginghistailandlickinghishand，evenwhilebylowmoaningsheexpressedthathisagonywasincreasedbytheattemptswhichSirKennethmadetowithdrawfromthewoundthefragmentofthelance，orjavelin，withwhichithadbeeninflicted；thenredoubledhisfeebleendearments，asiffearinghehadoffendedhismasterbyshowingasenseofthepaintowhichhisinterferencehadsubjectedhim。Therewassomethinginthedisplayofthedyingcreature’sattachment，whichmixedasabitteringredientwiththesenseofdisgraceanddesolationbywhichSirKennethwasoppressed。Hisonlyfriendseemedremovedfromhim，justwhenhehadincurredthecontemptandhatredofallbesides。
Theknight’sstrengthofmindgavewaytoaburstofagoniseddistress，andhegroanedandweptaloud。
Whilehethusindulgedhisgrief，aclearandsolemnvoice，closebesidehim，pronouncedthesewordsinthesonoroustoneofthereadersofthemosque，andintheLinguaFranca，mutuallyunderstoodbyChristiansandSaracens:-
Adversityisliketheperiodoftheformerandofthelatterrain-cold，comfortless，unfriendlytomanandtoanimal；yetfromthatseasonhavetheirbirththeflowerandthefruit，thedate，therose，andthepomegranate。’’
SirKennethoftheLeopardturnedtowardsthespeaker，andbeheldtheArabianphysician，who，approachingunheard，hadseatedhimselfalittlebehindhimcross-legged，andutteredwithgravity，yetnotwithoutatoneofsympathy，themoralsentencesofconsolationwithwhichtheKorananditscommentatorssuppliedhim；for，intheEast，wisdomisheldtoconsist，lessinadisplayofthesage’sowninventivetalents，thaninhisreadymemory，andhappyapplicationof，andreferenceto，thatwhichiswritten。’’
Ashamedatbeingsurprisedinawoman-likeexpressionofsorrow，SirKennethdashedhistearsindignantlyaside，andagainbusiedhimselfwithhisdyingfavourite。
Thepoethathsaid，’’continuedtheArab，withoutnoticingtheknight’savertedlooksandsullendeportment-`theoxforthefield，andthecamelforthedesert。’Werenotthehandoftheleechfitterthanthatofthesoldiertocurewounds，thoughlessabletoinflictthem？’’
Thispatient，Hakim，isbeyondthyhelp，’’saidSirKenneth；
and，besides，heis，bythylaw，anuncleananimal。’’
WhereAllahhathdeignedtobestowlife，andasenseofpainandpleasure，’’saidthephysician，itweresinfulprideshouldthesage，whomhehasenlightened，refusetoprolongexistence，orassuageagony。Tothesage，thecureofamiserablegroom，ofapoordog，andofaconqueringmonarch，areeventsoflittledistinction。Letmeexaminethiswoundedanimal。’’
SirKennethaccededinsilence，andthephysicianinspectedandhandledRoswal’swoundwithasmuchcareandattentionasifhehadbeenahumanbeing。Hethentookforthacaseofinstruments，and，bythejudiciousandskilfulapplicationofpincers，withdrewfromthewoundedshoulderthefragmentoftheweapon，andstoppedwithstypticsandbandagestheeffusionofbloodwhichfollowed；thecreatureallthewhilesufferinghimpatientlytoperformthesekindoffices，asifhehadbeenawareofhiskindintentions。
Theanimalmaybecured，’’saidElHakim，addressinghimselftoSirKenneth，ifyouwillpermitmetocarryhimtomytent，andtreathimwiththecarewhichthenoblenessofhisnaturedeserves。Forknow，thatthyservantAdonbecisnolessskilfulintheraceandpedigree，anddistinctionsofgooddogsandofnoblesteeds，thaninthediseaseswhichaffectthehumanrace。’’
Takehimwithyou，’’saidtheknight。Ibestowhimonyoufreelyifherecovers。Iowetheearewardforattendanceonmysquire，andhavenothingelsetopayitwith。Formyself，-Iwillneveragainwindbugle，orhallootohound！’’
TheArabianmadenoreply，butgaveasignalwithaclappingofhishands，whichwasinstantlyansweredbytheappearanceoftwoblackslaves。HegavethemhisordersinArabic，receivedtheanswer，thattohearwastoobey，’’when，takingtheanimalintheirarms，theyremovedhim，withoutmuchresistanceonhispart；forthoughhiseyesturnedtohismaster，hewastooweaktostruggle。
Faretheewell，Roswal，then，’’saidSirKenneth，-faretheewell，mylastandonlyfriend-thouarttoonobleapossessiontoberetainedbyonesuchasImustinfuturecallmyself-
Iwould，’’hesaid，astheslavesretired，that，dyingasheis，Icouldexchangeconditionswiththatnobleanimal。’’
Itiswritten，’’answeredtheArabian，althoughtheexclamationhadnotbeenaddressedtohim，thatallcreaturesarefashionedfortheserviceofman；andthemasteroftheearthspeakethfollywhenhewouldexchange，inhisimpatience，hishopeshereandtocome，fortheservileconditionofaninferiorbeing。’’
Adogwhodiesindischarginghisduty，’’saidtheknight，sternly，isbetterthanamanwhosurvivesthedesertionofit。
Leaveme，Hakim；thouhast，onthissideofmiracle，themostwonderfulsciencewhichmaneverpossessed，butthewoundsofthespiritarebeyondthypower。’’
Notifthepatientwillexplainhiscalamity，andbeguidedbythephysician，’’saidAdonbecelHakim。
Know，then，’’saidSirKenneth，sincethouartsoimportunate，thatlastnightthebannerofEnglandwasdisplayedfromthismound-Iwasitsappointedguardian-morningisnowbreaking-thereliesthebrokenbanner-spear，thestandarditselfislost-andheresitIalivingman！’’
How！’’saidElHakim，examininghim；thyarmouriswhole-thereisnobloodonthyweapons，andreportspeakstheeoneunlikelytoreturnthusfromfight-Thouhastbeentrainedfromthypost-ay，trainedbytherosycheekandblackeyeofoneofthosehouris，towhomyouNazarenesvowrathersuchserviceasisduetoAllah，thansuchloveasmaylawfullyberenderedtoformsofclaylikeourown。Ithasbeenthusassuredly；forsohathmaneverfallen，evensincethedaysofSultanAdam。’’
Andifitwereso，physician，’’saidSirKenneth，sullenly，whatremedy？’’
Knowledgeistheparentofpower，’’saidElHakim，asvaloursuppliesstrength-Listentome。Manisnotasatree，boundtoonespotofearth-norisheframedtoclingtoonebarerock，likethescarceanimatedshell-fish。ThineownChristianwritingscommandthee，whenpersecutedinonecity，tofleetoanother；andweMoslemalsoknowthatMohammed，theProphetofAllah，drivenforthfromtheholycityofMecca，foundhisrefugeandhishelpmatesatMedina。’’
