"Where is the Church?" the Princess inquired.
"In the low grounds between the aqueduct, and the gates of St. Romain and Adrianople."
"It belongs to one of the Brotherhoods. They have farming right in the soil."
"I am sorry to hear it."
As she turned to her work again, he went on with his account of himself.
"I had then two hours and more till noon, and was at loss what to do.
Finally I decided to go to the Port of Blacherne--a long walk, but not too long, considering my motive.... Princess, have you heard of the Italian newly arrived?"
"What of him, pray?"
"He is the talk of the city, and if the half told of him be true, we must needs wonder. He travels in his own ship. Merchants have that habit, but he is not a merchant. Kings do so, but he is not a king. He came in saluting with a gun, in style becoming a great admiral; but if he is an admiral, his nationality is a secret. He also flies an unknown flag. They report him further as standing much on his deck in a suit of armor glistening like silver. And what is he? Mouth speaketh unto mouth, with no one to answer. They go then to his ship, p.r.o.nouncing it the most perfect thing of the kind ever seen in the harbor. Those who have rowed around it say the sailors are not white men, but dark-faced creatures in turbans and black beards, un-Christian and ugly-looking. Fishermen and fruiterers have been permitted on deck--n.o.body else--and they, returning alive, say the rowers, of whom they caught glimpses, are blacker than the sailors. They also overheard strange noises below--voices not human."
The countenance of the Princess during this recital gradually changed; she seemed disposed to laugh at the exaggerations of the populace.
"So much for town-talk," Sergius continued. "To get sight of the ship, and of the mysterious magnate, I walked across the city to the Port of Blacherne, and was well rewarded. I found the ship drawn in to the quay, and the work of unloading her in progress. Parties of porters were attacking heaps of the cargo already on the landing. Where they were taking the goods I could not learn. I saw five horses lifted out of the hold, and led ash.o.r.e over a bridge dropped from the vessel"s side. Such horses I never before beheld. Two were grays, two bays, and one chestnut-colored. They looked at the sun with wide-open unwinking eyes; they inhaled the air as it were something to drink; their coats shone like silk; their manes were soft like the hair of children; their tails flared out in the breeze like flags; and everybody exclaimed: "Arabs, Arabs!" There was a groom for each horse--tall men, lean, dust-hued, turbaned, and in black gowns. At sight of the animals, an old Persian who, from his appearance, might have been grandfather of the grooms, begged permission--I could not understand the tongue he used--put his arms around the necks of the animals, and kissed them between the eyes, his own full of tears the while. I suppose they reminded him of his own country.... Then two officers from the palace, representatives doubtless of the Emperor, rode out of the gate in armor, and immediately the stranger issued from his cabin, and came ash.o.r.e. I confess I lost interest in the horses, although he went to them and scanned them over, lifting their feet and tapping their hoofs with the handle of a dagger.
By that time the two officers were dismounted; and approaching with great ceremony, they notified him they had been sent by His Majesty to receive and conduct him to a.s.signed quarters. He replied to them in excellent Greek, acknowledging His Majesty"s graciousness, and the pleasure he would have in their escort. From the cabin, two of his men brought a complete equipment, and placed it on the chestnut steed. The furniture was all sheen of satin and gold. Another attendant brought his sword and shield; and after the sword was buckled around him, and the shield at his back, he took hold of the saddle with both hands, and swung himself into the seat with an ease remarkably in contrast with the action of his Greek conductors, who, in mounting, were compelled to make use of their stirrups. The cavalcade then pa.s.sed the gate into the city."
"You saw him closely?" Lael asked.
"To get to his horse, he pa.s.sed near me as I am to you, my little friend."
"What did he wear?"
"Oh, he was in armor. A cap of blue steel, with a silver spike on the crown--neck and shoulders covered with a hood of mail--body in a shirt of mail, a bead of silver in each link--limbs to the knees in mail. From the knees down there were splints of steel inlaid with silver; his shoes were of steel, and on the heels long golden spurs. The hood was clasped under the chin, leaving the face exposed--a handsome face, eyes black and bright, complexion olive, though slightly bloodless, expression pleasant."
"How old is he?"
"Twenty-six or seven. Altogether he reminded me of what I have heard of the warriors who used to go crusading."
"What following had he?"
This was from the Princess.
"I can only speak of what I saw--of the keepers of the horses, and of the other men, whom, in my unfamiliarity with military fashions, I will call equerry, armorer, and squire or page. What accounting is to be made of the ship"s company, I leave, O Princess, to your better knowledge."
"My inquiry was of his personal suite."
"Then I cannot give you a better answer; but if I may say so much, the most unusual thing observable in his followers was, they were all Orientals--not one of them had a Christian appearance."
"Well"--and the Princess laid her needle down for the first time--"I see how easily a misunderstanding of the stranger may get abroad. Let me tell what I know of him.... Directly he arrived, he despatched a letter to His Majesty, giving an account of himself. He is a soldier by profession, and a Christian; has spent much time in the Holy Land, where he acquired several Eastern languages; obtained permission from the Pontiff Nicholas to make war on the African pirates; manned his galley with captives; and, not wishing to return to his native land and engage in the baronial wars which prevail there at present, he offered his services to His Majesty. He is an Italian n.o.bleman, ent.i.tled _Count Corti,_ and submitted to His Majesty a certificate, under the hand and seal of the Holy Father, showing that the Holy Father knighted him, and authorized his crusade against the infidels. The preference for a following composed of Orientals is singular; but after all, it is only a matter of taste. The day may come, dear Sergius, when the Christian world will disapprove his method of getting t.i.tle to servants; but it is not here now.... If further discussion of the Count takes place in your presence, you are at liberty to tell what I tell you. At Blacherne yesterday I had the particulars, together with the other circ.u.mstance, that the Emperor gladly accepted the Italian"s overture, and a.s.signed him quarters in the Palace of Julian, with leave to moor his galley in the port there. Few n.o.ble foreigners have sought our Empire bringing better recommendations."
The fair lady then took up her needle, and was resuming work, when Lysander entered, and, after thumping the floor, announced: "Three o"clock."
The Princess silently arose, and pa.s.sed out of the room; at the same time there was a commotion behind the curtain, and presently the other apartment was vacated. Sergius lingered a moment.
"Tell me now of yourself," Lael said, giving him her hand.
He kissed the hand fondly, and replied: "The clouds still hang low and dark over me; but my faith is not shaken; they will blow away; and in the meantime, dear little friend, the world is not all cheerless--you love me."
"Yes, I love you," she said, with childish simplicity.
"The Brotherhood has elected a new Hegumen," he continued.
"A good man, I hope."
"The violence with which he denounced me was the chief argument in his favor. But G.o.d is good. The Emperor, the Patriarch, and the Princess Irene remain steadfast. Against them the Hegumen will be slow in proceeding to my expulsion. I am not afraid. I will go on doing what I think right. Time and patience are good angels to the unjustly accused.
But that any one should hold it a crime to have rescued you--O little friend, dear soul! See the live coal which does not cease burning!"
"And Nilo?"
"He wants nothing in the way of comforts."
"I will go see the poor man the first thing when I get out."
"His cell in the Cynegion is well furnished. The officer in charge has orders direct from the Emperor to see that he suffers no harm. I saw him day before yesterday. He does not know why he is a prisoner, but behaves quietly. I took him a supply of tools, and he pa.s.ses the time making things in use in his country, mostly implements of war and hunting. The walls of his cell are hung with bows, arrows and lances of such curious form that there is always quite a throng to see them. He actually divides honor with Tamerlane, the king of the lions."
"It should be a very n.o.ble lion, for that."
Sergius, seeing her humor, went on: "You say truly, little friend. He has in hand a net of strong thread and thousands of meshes already.
"What is it for?" I asked. In his pantomimic way he gave me to understand: "In my country we hunt lions with it." "How?" said I. And he showed me two b.a.l.l.s of lead, one in each corner of the net. Taking the b.a.l.l.s in his hands: "Now we are in front of the game--now it springs at us--up they go this way." He gave the b.a.l.l.s a peculiar toss which sent them up and forward on separating lines. The woven threads spread out in the air like a yellow mist, and I could see the result--the brute caught in the meshes, and entangled. Then the brave fellow proceeded with his pantomime. He threw himself to one side out of the way of the leap--drew a sword, and stabbed and stabbed--and the triumph in his face told me plainly enough. "There--he is dead!" Just now he is engaged on another work scarcely less interesting to him. A dealer in ivory sent him an elephant"s tusk, and he is covering it with the story of a campaign. You see the warriors setting out on the march--in another picture they are in battle--a cloud of arrows in flight--shields on arm--bows bent--and a forest of spears. From the large end he is working down toward the point. The finish will be a victory, and a return with captives and plunder immeasurable.... He is well cared for; yet he keeps asking me about his master the Prince of India. Where is he? When will he come?
When he turns to that subject I do not need words from him. His soul gets into his eyes. I tell him the Prince is dead. He shakes his head: "No, no!" and sweeping a circle in the air, he brings his hands to his breast, as to say: "No, he is travelling--he will come back for me.""
Sergius had become so intent upon the description that he lost sight of his hearer; but now a sob recalled him. Bending lower over the hand, he caressed it more a.s.siduously than ever, afraid to look into her face.
When at length the sobbing ceased, he arose and said, shamefacedly:
"O dear little friend, you forgive me, do you not?"
From his manner one would have thought he had committed an offence far out of the pale of condonement.
"Poor Sergius," she said. "It is for me to think of you, not you of me."
He tried to look cheerful.
"It was stupid in me. I will be more careful. Your pardon is a sweet gift to take away.... The Princess is going to Sancta Sophia, and she may want me. To-morrow--until to-morrow--good-by."
This time he stooped, and kissed her on the forehead; next moment she was alone.
CHAPTER VI
COUNT CORTI IN SANCTA SOPHIA
The Palace of Julian arose the chief embellishment of a large square enclosure on the sea front southeast of the landmark at present called the Burnt Column, and, like other imperial properties of the kind, it was an aggregation of buildings irregular in form and style, and more or less ornate and imposing. A garden stretched around it. The founder, wanting private harborage for his galleys and swarm of lesser boats, dug a basin just inside the city wall, and flooded it with pure Marmoran water; then, for ingress and egress at his sovereign will, he slashed the wall, and of the breach made the _Port of Julian_. [Footnote: Only a shallow depression in the ground, faintly perpetuating the outlines of the harbor, now marks the site of this royal residence.]