62 | TIE BOY CRUSADERS.

‘And pray, seneschal,’ asked Louis, after a pause,
‘may I ask if you ever wash the feet of the poor ?’

‘Oh, sire, no,’ answered Joinville, not without
evincing surprise. ‘I hardly deem that it would —
become such a person as I am.’ |

‘In truth, seneschal,’ exclaimed Louis, ‘this is
very ill said. You ought not to think that unbe-
coming which He, who was their Lord and Master,
did for our example when He washed the feet of
His apostles. I doubt not you would very unwil-
lingly perform what the King of England does; for
on Holy Thursday he washes the feet of lepers.’ |

‘Oh, sire,’ cried Joinville, in a conclusive tone,
‘never will I wash the feet of such fellows.’

‘Now, seneschal,’ resumed Louis, still more se-
riously, ‘let me ask you another question. Whether
would you be a leper, or have committed a deadly
sin ?’ |

‘Sire,’ answered Joinville, frankly, ‘rather than
be a leper, I would have committed thirty deadly
sins.’

‘How could you make such an answer?’ said
Louis, reproachfully.

‘Sire,’ exclaimed Joinville, with decision, ‘if I
were to answer’ again, I should repeat the same
thing.’

‘Nevertheless,’ urged Louis, with earnestness,
‘you deceive yourself on the subject; for no leprosy
can be so awful as deadly sin, and the soul that is
guilty of such is like the devil in hell.’

It was when the conversation between the King
of France and the Lord of Joinville had reached