It was carefully concealed from the two wounded men, that they were so
near each other. The father did not, therefore, pray for Theobald, to
whom neither himself nor any person made the least allusion. It was from
Arnold that his father was to learn all that concerned him; and it was
not until the next day, and in the afternoon, that Gottfried, having
summoned Erard and Ethbert, listened with them to the narrative of his
son. Matthew remained with the chevalier.

"You know, my father," said Arnold, "that I went forth against my will.
Ah, what a denial of faith, to make war in the name of the religion of
Jesus! But I thought my presence would control certain spirits, and that
I might, perhaps, even prevent a conflict between the two parties.

"I communicated my sentiments to some true friends of the Saviour, who
had repaired to the camp with the same intentions as myself; and we
often assembled together, in my tent, to arrange our plans, and
especially to pray to God.

"But the number in favor of peace and forgiveness of injuries was too
small, and all our efforts were useless. The only thing we could obtain
was, that we should not be the first to attack, and that, at the first
signal of truce, we should cease fighting.

"For myself and brethren, we had pledged ourselves before God to limit
ourselves to defense, and to use our arms only to protect our own lives,
but not to strike our enemies.

"We had learned that Theobald, one of their chieftains, the lord of
Rothenwald, a strong castle in the neighborhood, and who, for his
indomitable courage, as well as the inflexible firmness of his manners,