seers and in charge of a
knight who had been with them at their work on the fortifications, were
passing along the street on their way back to barracks. It was already
dusk, and as Gervaise was going the same way as they were, he stood
aside in a doorway to let them pass. He was on the point of stepping out
to follow them, when he saw a man, who had been standing in the shadow
of the wall, fall in with their ranks, and, as he walked engaged in an
earnest conversation with one of the slaves. He kept beside him for a
hundred yards or so, then passed something into the slave's hand, and
turned abruptly down a side opening. There were but few people about,
and in the growing darkness the action of the man passed unobserved by
the overseers. Gervaise, thinking the occurrence a strange one, turned
down the same lane as the man.

He slackened his pace until the latter was fifty yards ahead, so that he
would not, had he looked round, have been able to perceive that it was
a knight who was behind him. After passing through several streets, the
man turned into a refreshment house. The door stood open, and as the
place was brightly lit up, Gervaise, pausing outside, was able to see
what was going on inside. The man he had followed was on the point
of seating himself at one of the tables, and as he did so Gervaise
recognised him as the Greek he had met at the merchant's house. He at
once walked on a short distance, and then paused to think.

The vague suspicions he had before entertained as to the man now
recurred with double force; he was certainly in communication with one
or more of the slaves, and such communication, so secretly effected,
could be for no good purpose. So far, however, there was nothing he
could tax the man with. He would probably deny altogether that he had
spoken to any of the slaves, and Gervaise could not point out the one
he had conversed with. At any rate, nothing could be done now, and he
required time to think what steps he could take to follow up the matter.
He resolved, however, to wait and follow the Greek when he came out.
After a few minutes he again repassed the door, and saw that the man was
engaged in earnest conversation with another. After considering for
a time, Gervaise thought that it would be best for him to follow this
other man when he left, and ascertain who he was, rather than to keep
a watch on the movements of the Greek, who, as likely as not, would now
return to the merchant's.

H