see
an opportunity of making my escape; but, Ben Ibyn, you have behaved so
kindly to me that I feel it would not be honourable to keep it a secret
from you, and to allow you and the ladies to talk freely before me,
thinking that I was altogether ignorant of what you were saying."

"You have acted well and honourably," Ben Ibyn said, putting a hand on
his shoulder kindly. "We have heard much of the character of the Order,
and that though valiant in battle, your knights are courteous and
chivalrous, deeming a deceitful action to be unworthy of them, and
binding themselves by their vows to succour the distressed and to be
pitiful to the weak. We have heard that our wounded are tended by
them in your hospitals with as much care as men of their own race and
religion, and that in many things the knights were to be admired even by
those who were their foes. I see now that these reports were true, and
that although, as you say, it might be of advantage to you that none
should know you speak Arabic, yet it is from a spirit of honourable
courtesy you have now told us that you do so.

"I did not tell you, wife," he went on, turning to her, "that the reason
why he bearded Hassan today was because the corsair brutally struck a
little female captive; thus, you see, he, at the risk of his life, and
when himself a captive, carried out his vows to protect the defenceless.
And now, wife, there is one thing you must know. For some time, at any
rate, you must abandon the idea of exciting the envy of your friends by
exhibiting your Christian captive to them. As you are aware, the sultan
has the choice of any one slave he may select from each batch brought
in, and assuredly he would choose this one, did it come to his ears,
or to the ears of one of his officers, that a Christian knight had been
landed. For this reason Hassan sold him to me for a less sum than
he would otherwise have demanded, and we must for some time keep his
presence here a secret. My idea is that he shall remain indoors until
we move next week into our country house, where he will be comparatively
free from observation."

"Certainly, Isaac. I would not on any account that he should be handed
over to the sultan, for he would either be put into the galleys or have
to labour in the streets."

"I will tell Muley to order the other slaves to say nothing outside
of the fresh arrival, so for the present there is no fear of its being
talked about in the town. Hassan will, for