Page 288 - A Knight of the White Cross

have given me such shelter and aid as he was able, in the event of my
making my escape from slavery and finding myself unable to leave by sea."

The next day Gervaise went with Ben Tbyn to his stores. The eight men

arrived shortly afterwards, and the merchant, in the presence of Gervaise,
questioned them as to whether they knew anything of a misfortune that was
said to have befallen some ships that had sailed for the coast of Italy. The

men, surprised at the question, glanced at Gervaise, who said, "Tell Ben
Ibyn the truth; it will do neither you nor me any harm, and will be

mentioned by him to no one else."

Accordingly the story was told. Ben Tbyn listened gravely.

"It was the will of Allah," he said, when it was concluded. "I have wronged

you, Gervaise, but your tale seemed too marvellous to be true.

"Do not speak of this to others;" he went on to the eight men. "Now as to

yourselves. For the four of you who desire to return to Syria I have taken
passage in a trader that sails tomorrow and will touch at Joppa and Acre.

Here is money to provide yourselves with garments and to carry you to
your homes. For you," he said to two who were natives of the town, "I can
myself find employment here, and if your conduct is good, you will have

no reason to regret taking service with me. The two of you who desire to go
to Smyrna I will give passage there in a ship which will sail next week; in

the meantime, here is money for your present wants."

Two days later the merchant's family moved to his house two miles outside

the town, and here Gervaise remained for six months. His life was not an
unpleasant one; he was treated with great kindness by the merchant and his

wife, his duties were but slight, and he had no more labour to perform in
the garden than he cared to do. Nevertheless, he felt that he would rather
have fallen into the hands of a less kind master, for it seemed to him that it

would be an act almost of treachery to escape from those who treated him
as a friend; moreover, at the country house he was not in a position to

frame any plans for escape, had he decided upon attempting it, nor could he
have found out when Hassan made one of his occasional visits to the port.