her shift;
then, having cut her hair and altogether transformed herself in the
guise of a sailor, she betook herself to the sea-shore, where, as
chance would have it, she found a Catalan gentleman, by name Senor
Encararch, who had landed at Alba from a ship he had in the offing, to
refresh himself at a spring there. With him she entered into parley
and engaging with him as a servant, embarked on board the ship, under
the name of Sicurano da Finale. There, being furnished by the
gentleman with better clothes, she proceeded to serve him so well and
so aptly that she became in the utmost favour with him. No great while
after it befell that the Catalan made a voyage to Alexandria with a
lading of his and carrying thither certain peregrine falcons for the
Soldan, presented them to him. The Soldan, having once and again
entertained him at meat and noting with approof the fashions of
Sicurano, who still went serving him, begged him[133] of his master,
who yielded him to him, although it irked him to do it, and Sicurano,
in a little while, by his good behaviour, gained the love and favour
of the Soldan, even as he had gained that of the Catalan. Wherefore,
in process of time, it befell that,--the time coming for a great
assemblage, in the guise of a fair, of merchants, both Christian and
Saracen, which was wont at a certain season of the year to be held in
Acre, a town under the seignory of the Soldan, and to which, in order
that the merchants and their merchandise might rest secure, the latter
was still used to despatch, besides other his officers, some one of
his chief men, with troops, to look to the guard,--he bethought
himself to send Sicurano, who was by this well versed in the language
of the country, on this service; and so he did. Sicurano accordingly
came to Acre as governor and captain of the guard of the merchants and
their merchandise and there well and diligently doing that which
pertained to his office and going round looking about him, saw many
merchants there, Sicilians and Pisans and Genoese and Venetians and
other Italians, with whom he was fain to make acquaintance, in
remembrance of his country. It befell, one time amongst others, that,
having lighted down at the shop of certain Venetian merchants, he
espied among other trinkets, a purse and a girdle, which he
straightway knew for having been his and marvelled thereat; but,
without making any sign, he carelessly asked to whom they pertained
and if they wer