young knights remained on the roof, Gervaise talking
quietly with the merchant, while his companion laughed and chatted with
the ladies and friends of their host. After they had left, with the
promise that it would not be long before they repeated their visit,
Ralph bantered Gervaise on preferring the society of the merchant to
that of his daughters.

"I found him a pleasant and very well informed man, Ralph, and enjoyed
my talk with him just as you enjoyed talking nonsense to his daughters
and listening to their songs. Who was the man sitting next to the eldest
daughter?"

"He doesn't belong to Rhodes, but is a Greek from one of the islands,
though I did not catch from which. I don't know whether he is a relative
of the family, or a business connection of the merchant's, or a stranger
who has brought a letter of introduction to him. Nothing was said on
that head; why do you ask?"

"I don't like the man's face; he is a handsome fellow, but has a crafty
expression. He did not say much, but it seemed to me that at times, when
he appeared to be sitting carelessly sipping his sherbet, he was really
trying to listen to what Vrados was saying to me. He could not do
so, for we were on the other side of the circle, and were speaking in
somewhat low tones, while the rest of you were chatting and laughing."

"What should he want to listen for, most sapient knight?"

"That I can't tell, Ralph; but I am certain that he was trying to
listen."

"Well, as you were no doubt both talking more sensibly than most of us,"
Ralph laughed, "he certainly showed his discernment."

"I daresay I am wrong," Gervaise said quietly; "but you know we have our
spies at Constantinople, and probably the sultan has his spies here; and
the idea occurred to me that perhaps this man might be one of them."

"Well, I am bound to say, Gervaise," Ralph said, a little irritably,
"I have never heard so grave an accusation brought on such insufficient
evidence--or rather, as far as I can see, without a shadow of evidence
of any kind. We drop in upon a man who is one of our most respected
merchants, whose family has been established here many years, whose
interests must be the same as those of the Order; and because a guest of
his does not care to take any active part in my joking with the girls,
and because you imagine that there is a cunning expression on his face,
you must straightway take it into your head that he must be a spy."

"Excuse me, Ralph, I