in communication with Italy. I cannot understand why
you should thus hesitate about telling me the name of this commander.
When known it will doubtless be cursed by thousands of Moorish wives and
mothers; but we Berbers are another race. None of our friends or kindred
were on board the fleet; and we traders have rather reason to rejoice,
for, in the first place, so severe a lesson will keep the corsairs in
their ports for a long time; and in the second, had the fleet succeeded
according to general expectation, so great a store of European goods
would have been brought home that the market would have been glutted,
and the goods in our storehouses would have lost all their value. What
reason, then, can you possibly have in refusing to tell me the name of
the commander who has won for himself such credit and glory?"

Gervaise saw that Ben Ibyn was seriously annoyed at what he deemed his
unaccountable obstinacy.

"I will tell you, Ben Ibyn, rather than excite your displeasure, though
I would much have preferred not to do so, for you speak so much more
highly of the affair than it merits. I had myself the honour of being in
command of that galley."

The ladies broke into exclamations of surprise, while the merchant
regarded him with grave displeasure.

"I had thought you truthful," he said; "but this passes all belief. Dost
tell me that a beardless youth could with one galley overcome a great
fleet, commanded by the most noted captains on our coast?"

"I thought that you would not believe me," Gervaise said quietly; "and,
therefore, would have much preferred to keep silence, knowing that I had
no means of supporting my claim. That was not the only reason; the other
was, that already a great deal too much has been said about an affair
in which, as I have told you, I owed everything to good fortune, and am
heartily sick of receiving what I consider altogether undue praise. Ah!"
he exclaimed suddenly, "the thought has just occurred to me of a way by
which you can obtain confirmation of my story; and, as I value your good
opinion and would not be regarded as a boaster and a liar, I entreat you
to take it. I heard you tell the eight men who were rowers in my boat
when I was captured, to call upon you today, that you might do something
for them."

"They came this morning to my store," the merchant said. "They told
me their wishes. I promised them that I would make inquiry about ships
sailing East; and they are to come to me