That he would have liefer died
In the battle by her side.
"Ah, my Nicolette," he said,
"Are you living, are you dead?
All my kingdom I would give
For the news that still you live.
For the joy of finding you
Would I search the whole world through,
Did I think you living yet,
Nicolette--my Nicolette!"


_V.--Nicolette's Love Song_


In the meantime, the Saracens took Nicolette to their great city of
Carthage; and because she was lovely and seemed of noble birth, they led
her to their king. And when Nicolette saw the King of Carthage, she knew
him again; and he, also, knew her. For she was his daughter who had been
carried off in her young days by the Christians. Her father held a great
feast in honour of Nicolette, and would have married her to a mighty
king of Paynim. But Nicolette had no mind to marry anyone but Aucassin,
and she devised how she might get news of her lover. One night she
smeared her face with a brown ointment, and dressed herself in
minstrel's clothes, and took a viol, and stole out of her father's
palace to the seashore. There she found a ship that was bound for
Provence, and she sailed in it to Beaucaire. She took her viol, and went
playing through the town, and came to the castle. Aucassin was sitting
on the castle steps with his proud barons and brave knights around him,
gazing sorrowfully at the sweet flowers, and listening to the singing of