Page 130 - A Knight of the White Cross

CHAPTER IX

WITH THE GALLEY SLAVES

Gervaise, on consideration, was obliged to own to himself that Ralph was
right in saying that he had no ground whatever for suspicion against the

Greek he had met at Signor Vrados's; and he could see no means of
following the matter up. It would not, he felt, be honourable to go again to

the merchant's house, and to avail himself of his hospitality, while watching
his guest. He determined to dismiss the matter from his mind, and had,
indeed, altogether done so when, a week later, it suddenly recurred to his

memory.

A party of slaves, under the escort of overseers and in charge of a knight
who had been with them at their work on the fortifications, were passing
along the street on their way back to barracks. It was already dusk, and as

Gervaise was going the same way as they were, he stood aside in a
doorway to let them pass. He was on the point of stepping out to follow

them, when he saw a man, who had been standing in the shadow of the
wall, fall in with their ranks, and, as he walked engaged in an earnest
conversation with one of the slaves. He kept beside him for a hundred yards

or so, then passed something into the slave's hand, and turned abruptly
down a side opening. There were but few people about, and in the growing

darkness the action of the man passed unobserved by the overseers.
Gervaise, thinking the occurrence a strange one, turned down the same lane
as the man.

He slackened his pace until the latter was fifty yards ahead, so that he

would not, had he looked round, have been able to perceive that it was a
knight who was behind him. After passing through several streets, the man
turned into a refreshment house. The door stood open, and as the place was

brightly lit up, Gervaise, pausing outside, was able to see what was going
on inside. The man he had followed was on the point of seating himself at

one of the tables, and as he did so Gervaise recognised him as the Greek he
had met at the merchant's house. He at once walked on a short distance, and
then paused to think.