"Hasty news to thee I bring— Henry, thou art now a king. Mark the words and heed them well, Which to thee in sooth I tell." The closing words were interrupted by hurried cries of alarm and distress. The prince turned, and the horror-stricken Tyrrel, whose erring shaft had slain the king, dashed past the door. Comprehending the whole affair at once, Henry remounted his horse and rode full speed to Winchester, forced the keys from the keeper, and took possession of the regalia and royal treasure. The people thronged round him in the streets, and while the nobles and prelates were debating on the claims of Robert, the popu-lace, whose allegiance he secured by the promise of English laws and an English Queen, made the city resound with loud shouts of " Long live King Henry." Within three days he was crowned at Winchester, by the bishop of London. Scarce a month after the Countess of Blois was apprized of these events, the tardy Robert arrived at Chartres. He had lingered in Apulia to woo Sybilla, the fair cousin of Bohemond, and now returned to claim his inheritance, after his younger brother was securely seated on the throne. The countess received him with the greatest joy, and hon-ored his peerless bride with the most distinguishing atten-tions ; but when she learned that he depended upon her good offices with Stephen to secure assistance in a medi-tated invasion of England, her love for her favorite brother Henry, and her apprehension of the unsteady rule of Robert, moved her to dissuade him from the scheme, and she se-cretly hoped that he might be made instrumental in in-ducing her husband to return again to the Holy Land. She learned from Robert the various success of the leaders of the crusade. While some were still carving their way with the sword, Bohemond was Prince of Antioch, Baldwin of Edessa, and Godfrey enjoyed the enviable distinction of being King of Jerusalem. " The voice of fame has spoken oft to me of the prowess ADELA. 105