what while he was in his house at Pavia. This brought the gentleman to
his mind and looking steadfastly upon him, himseemed it was himself;
wherefore, leaving the former discourse, 'Harkye, Christian, said he,
'What countryman art thou of the West?' 'My lord,' replied Torello, 'I
am a Lombard of a city called Pavia, a poor man and of mean
condition.' Saladin, hearing this, was in a manner certified of the
truth of his suspicion and said joyfully in himself, 'God hath
vouchsafed me an opportunity of showing this man how grateful his
courtesy was to me.' Accordingly, without saying otherwhat, he let
lay out all his apparel in a chamber and carrying him thither, said to
him, 'Look, Christian, if there be any among these gowns that thou
hast ever seen.' Torello looked and saw those which his lady had given
Saladin; but, natheless, conceiving not that they could possibly be
the same, he answered, 'My lord, I know none of them; albeit, in good
sooth, these twain do favour certain gowns wherewithal I, together
with three merchants who came to my house, was invested aforetime.'
Thereupon Saladin, unable to contain himself farther, embraced him
tenderly, saying, 'You are Messer Torello d'Istria and I am one of the
three merchants to whom your lady gave these gowns; and now is the
time come to certify you what manner merchandise mine is, even as I
told you, at my parting from you, might chance to betide.' Messer
Torello, hearing this, was at once rejoiced and ashamed; rejoiced to
have had such a guest and ashamed for that himseemed he had
entertained him but scurvily. Then said Saladin, 'Messer Torello,
since God hath sent you hither to me, henceforth consider that not I,
but you are master here.' Accordingly, after they had mightily
rejoiced in each other, he clad him in royal apparel and carrying him
into the presence of all his chief barons, commanded, after saying
many things in praise of his worth, that he should of all who held his
favour dear be honoured as himself, which was thenceforward done of
all, but above all of the two gentlemen who had been Saladin's
companions in his house.

The sudden height of glory to which Messer Torello thus found himself
advanced put his Lombardy affairs somedele out of his mind, more by
token that he had good reason to hope that his letters were by this
come to his uncle's hands. Now there had died and been buried in the
camp or rather in the host, of the Christians, the day they were tak