Page 286 - A Knight of the White Cross

"But why?" the merchant asked, in surprise. "If I hear it not from you, I
shall assuredly hear it ere long from others, for it will be brought by traders

who are 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 Tbyn, 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