Suffice it that I reverence thy dignity, and submit myself to thee as humbly as a man-at-arms in my place may." "It shall suffice," said Nectabanus, "so that you presently attend me to the presence of those who have sent me hither to summon you." "Great sir," replied the knight, "neither in this can I gratify thee, for my orders are to abide by this banner till daybreak--so I pray you to hold me excused in that matter also." So saying, he resumed his walk upon the platform; but the dwarf did not suffer him so easily to escape from his importunity.
"Look you," he said, placing himself before Sir Kenneth, so as to interrupt his way, "either obey me, Sir Knight, as in duty bound, or I will lay the command upon thee, in the name of one whose beauty could call down the genii from their sphere, and whose grandeur could command the immortal race when they had descended." A wild and improbable conjecture arose in the knight's mind, but he repelled it.

It was impossible, he thought, that the lady of his love should have sent him such a message by such a messenger; yet his voice trembled as he said, "Go to, Nectabanus.

Tell me at once, and as a true man, whether this sublime lady of whom thou speakest be other than the houri with whose assistance I beheld thee sweeping the chapel at Engaddi ?" "How! presumptuous Knight," replied the dwarf, "think'st thou the mistress of our own royal affections, the sharer of our greatness, and the partner of our comeliness, would demean herself by laying charge on such a vassal as thou?
No; highly as thou art honoured, thou hast not yet deserved the notice of Queen Guenevra, the lovely bride of Arthur, from whose high seat even princes seem but pigmies.

But look thou here, and as thou knowest or disownest this token, so obey or refuse her commands who hath deigned to impose them on thee." So saying, he placed in the knight's hand a ruby ring, which, even in the moonlight, he had no difficulty to recognize as that which usually graced the finger of the high-born lady to whose service he had devoted himself.

Could he have doubted the truth of the token, he would have been convinced by the small knot of carnation-coloured ribbon which was fastened to the ring.