But here little Isa, having recovered her voice, exclaimed hurriedly: "O no,--not page, good palmer. He is no page; he is----" "Peace, Isa," the lad broke in with that peculiar wink of the left eyelid well known to every boy who deals in mischief and mystery. "Let the gray palmer tell us who _he_ may be, or, by my plume, he goeth no farther in the palace here." The burly pilgrim looked down upon the lad, who, with arms akimbo and defiant face, barred his progress. He laughed a grim and dangerous laugh. "Thou rare young malapert!" he said. "Hath, then, the state of great King Godfrey fallen so low that chattering children keep the royal doors?" Then, seizing the boy by the ear, he whirled him aside and said: "Out of my path, sir page. Let me have instant speech with the king, thy master, ere I seek him out myself and bid him punish roundly such a saucy young jackdaw as thou." "By what token askest thou to see the king?" the boy demanded, nursing his wounded ear. "By this same token of the royal seal," replied the palmer, and he held out to the lad a golden signet-ring, "the which I was to show to whomsoever barred my path and crave due entrance to the king for the gray palmer, Conradin." "So, 't is the queen-mother's signet," said the boy. "There is then no gainsaying thee. Well, good palmer Conradin, thou need'st go no farther. _I_ am the King of Jerusalem." The palmer started in surprise. "Give me no more tricks, boy," he said, sternly. "Nay, 't is no trick, good palmer," said little Isabelle, in solemn assurance. "This is the king." The palmer saw that the little maid spoke truly, but he seemed still full of wonder, and, grasping the young king's shoulder, he held him off at arm's length and looked him over from head to foot. "Thou the king!" he exclaimed. "Thou that Baldwin of Jerusalem whom men do call the hero of the Jordan, the paladin of the Sepulchre, the young conqueror of Bostra? Thou--a boy!" "It ill beseemeth me to lay claim to hero and paladin," said young King Baldwin, modestly. "But know, sir pilgrim, that I am as surely King Baldwin of Jerusalem as thou art the palmer Conradin. What warrant, then, hast thou, gray palmer though thou be, to lay such heavy hands upon the king?" And he strove to free himself from the stranger's grasp. [Illustration: "THOU THE KING!" HE EXCLAIMED; "THOU THAT BALDWIN OF JERUSALEM WHOM MEN DO CALL THE HERO OF THE JORDAN!"] But the palmer caught him round the neck with a strong embrace. "What warrant, lad?" he exclaimed heartily. "Why, the warrant of a brother, good my lord. Thousands of leagues have I travelled to seek and succor thee. Little brother of Jerusalem, here am I known only as a gray palmer at the holy shrines, but from the Rhine to Ratisbon and Rome am I hailed as Conrad, King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor!" It was now the boy's turn to start in much surprise. "Thou the great emperor--and in palmer's garb?" he said. "Where, then, are thy followers, valiant Conrad?"