“This Gentile has fainted because he is disappointed with his reward.  Take him hence and let his companion, the Doctor Adams, attend to him.  When he is recovered, conduct them all from Mur as I have decreed.  See that they go unharmed, taking with them plenty of food lest it be said that we only spared their lives here in order that they might starve without our gates.”

Then waving her hand to show that the matter was done with, she rose and, followed by the judges and officers, left the court by some door behind them.

While she spoke a strong body of guards had surrounded us, some of whom came forward and lifted the senseless Oliver on to a stretcher.  They carried him down the court, the rest of us following.

“Look,” jeered the Abati as he passed, “look at the Gentile pig who thought to wear the Bud of the Rose upon his bosom.  He has got the thorn now, not the rose.  Is the swine dead, think you?”

Thus they mocked him and us.

We reached our prison in safety, and there I set to work to revive Oliver, a task in which I succeeded at length.  When he had come to himself again he drank a cup of water, and said quite quietly: 

“You fellows have seen all, so there is no need for talk and explanations.  One thing I beg of you, if you are any friends of mine, and it is that you will not reproach or even speak of Maqueda to me.  Doubtless she had reasons for what she did; moreover, her bringing up has not been the same as ours, and her code is different.  Do not let us judge her.  I have been a great fool, that is all, and now I am paying for my folly, or, rather, I have paid.  Come, let us have some dinner, for we don’t know when we shall get another meal.”

We listened to this speech in silence, only I saw Roderick turn aside to hide a smile and wondered why he smiled.

Scarcely had we finished eating, or pretending to eat, when an officer entered the room and informed us roughly that it was time for us to be going.  As he did so some attendants who had followed him threw us bundles of clothes, and with them four very beautiful camel-hair cloaks to protect us from the cold.  With some of these garments we replaced our rags, for they were little more, tying them and the rest of the outfit up into bundles.

Then, clothed as Abati of the upper class, we were taken to the gates of the barrack, where we found a long train of riding camels waiting for us.  The moment that I saw these beasts I knew that they were the best in the whole land, and of very great value.  Indeed, that to which Oliver was conducted was Maqueda’s own favourite dromedary, which upon state occasions she sometimes rode instead of a horse.  He recognized it at once, poor fellow, and coloured to the eyes at this unexpected mark of kindness, the only one she had vouchsafed to him.