tention of demanding her of her father. Her only confi-dant in the affair was her brother Sancho the Strong, who consoled her by violently upbraiding her for the unjust sus-picion, and resolutely vindicating the honor of his absent friend. "While the mind of Berengaria was thus cruelly alternating between hope and fear, her sister Blanche was wedded to Thibaut, brother of Count Henry of Champagne. On the festive occasion Bichard accompanied the bride-groom : and when Berengaria once more read admiration and love in every glance of his speaking eyes, and listened to his enthusiastic assurances of devotion, and above all, when-she'heard his wrathful malediction against those who interposed the claims of Alice, she wondered how she could ever have distrusted the sincerity of his professions. But though her heart was thus reassured, the first intelli-gence that she received from Champagne through the me-dium of Blanche, overwhelmed her with new apprehen-sions. It was asserted, that an alliance had been formed between Richard and Philip, the young King of France, to wrest Alice from the custody of Henry, and that the two princes, to prove that they looked upon each other as broth-ers, exchanged clothing, ate at the same table, and occu-pied the same apartment. - The confident Sancho even, was soirrewhat shaken by this report ; particularly as the Gas-con subjects of Richard began to prepare for war. Insti-gated by his own doubts, but more especially by the mute appeals of Berengaria's tearful eyes, Sancho made a journey to the north to prove the guilt or innocence of his friend. At Bordeaux he learned that Bichard had gone to Poictiers. At Poictiers it was said he might be found at Tours. At Tours the rumor was confirmed, that Richard had transfer-red his allegiance from Henry to Philip, and that Henry, in consequence of his son's rebellion, had fallen sick at Chinon, and that Richard had been summoned to that place to attend the monarch's death-bed. "Without delay, therefore, Sancho posted forward to Chinon. As he as-cended an eminence commanding a view of the road for some distance, he saw a band of armed horsemen riding in BEEENGARIA OF NAVARRE. 219