“I will tell you, Ben Ibyn, 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 exclaimed suddenly, “the thought has just occurred to me of a way by which you can obtain confirmation of my story; and, as I value your good opinion and would not be regarded as a boaster and a liar, I entreat you to take it.  I heard you tell the eight men who were rowers in my boat when I was captured, to call upon you today, that you might do something for them.”

“They came this morning to my store,” the merchant said.  “They told me their wishes.  I promised them that I would make inquiry about ships sailing East; and they are to come to me again tomorrow.”

“Then, sir, I beseech you to suffer me to go down with you to your stores and meet them there.  The galley of which I was in command at the time I was captured is the same as that in which a few weeks before I fought the corsairs, and these eight men were with me at that time.  I begged them for my sake to maintain an absolute silence as to that affair, and I have no doubt that they have done so, for in the fury the news would excite, they might fall victims to the first outburst, though, of course, wholly innocent of any share in the misfortune.  Did you question them without my being present, they might still keep silent, fearing to injure me.  But if, before you begin to do so, I tell them that they can speak the truth with reference to me, they will, I am sure. confirm my story, incredible as it may now appear to you.”

“That is a fair offer,” the merchant said gravely, “and I accept it, for it may be that I have been too hasty, and I trust it may prove so.  I would rather find myself to be in fault than that the esteem with which you have inspired me should prove to be misplaced.  We will speak no further on the subject now.  I have not yet asked you how it is that you come to speak our language so well.”

Gervaise related how he had studied with Suleiman Ali, and had escorted him to Syria and received his ransom.