[Illustration: CHARLEMAGNE AT THE HEAD OF HIS ARMY.] He sent to Maugis a knight with a flag of truce indicating a desire for a parley, who, shortly after he appeared before the gates of the castle, was admitted to the presence of Maugis. “Sir knight!” said the envoy, “I appear at the instance of the Emperor Charlemagne to bid thee lay down thy arms and surrender at discretion. Thy life shall be spared, but the condition is thou shalt deliver up thy brother Richard to the anger of the king as an expiation of thy faults and those of thy brothers. What sayest thou?” The brow of Maugis darkened at these ominous words. “If thou refusest,” continued the envoy of the emperor in a threatening tone, “neither grace nor pity shall be accorded thee or thine. All, every one, shall be given over to the most hideous punishments, and thy fortress shall be razed to the ground.” Maugis laughed scornfully and replied with great indignation: “Charlemagne, thy master, should know me well enough not to make a proposition to me which is little better than an insult. As to delivering to him my brother Richard, I would not commit such an act of cowardice even to a stranger who had put himself under my protection.” A low murmur of applause sounded throughout the audience-chamber at these brave words. “Thou canst, however, tell the emperor,” continued Maugis sorrowfully, “that if instead of pursuing and fighting us he will grant us all his pardon and take us into his service once more, as we are perfectly disposed to do, we will surrender to him and will deliver up our castle.” “And this is all thy answer?” demanded the envoy. “It is all,” replied Maugis. The proposition of Maugis was so fair that most of the counsellors of Charlemagne were of the opinion that he should accept it, but Ganelon and his allies worked so successfully upon the self-pride of Charlemagne as to lead him to refuse to consider these wise counsels and to declare that he should not stop until he had completely vanquished the five young men who had so persistently balked and humiliated him. He forthwith ordered the camp pitched around Montaubon, so as to completely invest it, placing his own tent before the oriental gate, while Roland placed his tent at the side opposite. Besides all these preparations Roland studied the fortress with the closest attention, replying to all observations that it seemed truly impregnable. Thus a regular siege was commenced, it being the intention to reduce the place by famine; so, as the days passed, the life of the soldiers became very tranquil, some trifling skirmishes and keeping a close watch being about all that occupied them. This state of quiet gave their chiefs an abundant opportunity to make excursions into the surrounding country, and it chanced one day, when Roland and Olivier and his suite made such an expedition, that Maugis, who kept well posted as to the movements of the enemy, resolved to humiliate him.