o was a Greek renegade named Yusuf, demanded six
thousand crowns for Leonisa and four thousand for me, adding that he
would not give up the one without the other. He asked this large sum, as
I afterwards ascertained, because he was in love with Leonisa, and did
not wish to ransom her, but to give me and a thousand crowns to boot to
the other captain, with whom he was bound to share equally whatever
prizes they made, and to keep Leonisa for himself as valued at five
thousand crowns. It was for this reason that he appraised us both at ten
thousand.

"Leonisa's parents made no offer at all, relying on my promise, nor did
Cornelio so much as open his lips on the matter. After much bargaining
my steward agreed to pay five thousand crowns for Leonisa and three for
me, and Yusuf accepted this offer at the persuasion of the other captain
and of all his men. But as my agent had not so large an amount in ready
money, he asked for three days to get it in, being resolved to expend
all I possessed rather than fail to rescue us. Yusuf was glad of this,
thinking that something might possibly occur in the interval to prevent
the completion of the bargain, and he departed for the isle of Fabiana,
saying that in three days he would return for the money. But fortune,
never weary of persecuting me, ordained that a Turkish sentinel descried
from the highest point of the island, far out at sea, six vessels which
appeared to be either the Maltese squadron or one belonging to Sicily.
He ran down to give warning, and as quick as thought the Turks who were
on shore, some cooking their dinners, some washing their linen, embarked
again, heaved anchor, got out their oars, hoisted sail, and heading in
the direction of Barbary, in less than two hours lost sight of the
galleys. I leave you to conjecture, friend Mahmoud, what I suffered in
that voyage, so contrary to my expectation, and more when we arrived the
following day at the south-west of the isle of Pantanalea. There the
Turks landed, and the two captains began to divide all the prizes they
had made. All this was for me a lingering death.

"When Leonisa's turn and mine came, Yusuf gave Fatallah (the other
captain) myself and six other Christians, four of them fit for the oar,
and two very handsome Corsican boys, as an equivalent for Leonisa, whom
he himself retained; Fatallah being content with that arrangement. I was
present at all this, but knew not what they said, though I saw what they
did