"Keep your fury for the day of fight," Hildebrand sneered. "See now how easily you could overcome me. Yet you are a trouble to me now, and I think I will kill you, Master Fool!"
Robert did not heed, did not hear his threat. While Hildebrand put his hand to the hilt of his sword and loosened it in its sheath, Robert crawled to the steps of the altar, cowering, with clasped hands.
"God give me back my strength," he prayed. "There is no punishment too heavy for my sin, but for this woman's sake breathe back my manhood into this withered body that I may fight for her. Then cast me unprotesting into hell. Ah!"
Even as he prayed he seemed to feel the breath of a great spirit fill his body with new life, his sinews with new strength, his pulses with new fire. A voice seemed to be calling in his ear, telling him what to do, and he obeyed it as a child obeys its sire. He rose and faced Hildebrand.
"You shall not do this thing," Robert said, and the sound of his voice thrilled him with unspeakable hope.
"Shall I not, rascal? Is it still the King who commands me?" he asked, and his fingers closed tighter upon his sword-hilt.
The voice seemed ever to speak in Robert's ear, and ever Robert obeyed its prompting.
[Illustration: "ROBERT, SWINGING THE CROSS, WITH ONE BLOW BEAT HIM TO THE GROUND"]
"No," he cried. "It is not the King who commands you, but the humblest, the meanest, the unworthiest of mortal men. There is no creature living in the world lowlier than I, yet I command you in the name of that symbol which casts down the mighty, and before which the King and the beggar are alike but a little quickened dust."
Spurred by inspiration he rushed to the altar and clasped his hands around the iron cross. Scarcely to his surprise he found that he could lift the massive symbol like a reed. Poising the cross on high he turned upon Hildebrand.
"Will you set your cross against my sword?" Hildebrand cried. "You shall carry it to hell."
Robert answered with the voice of a strong man.
"The cross against the sword, in the name of God!"
He advanced against Hildebrand with the iron cross raised. Hildebrand drew his great sword and made to strike, but before he could deal a stroke Robert, swinging the cross, with one blow beat him to the ground, and stood over him with the cross raised.