On the following morning, when they came into the
eating-room of the inn, Godwin and Wulf found they
were no longer alone in the house, for sundry other
guests sat there partaking of their morning meal.
Among them were a grave merchant of Damascus, another
from Alexandria in Egypt, a man who seemed to be an
Arab chief, a Jew of Jerusalem, and none other than
the English trader Thomas of Ipswich, their fellow-passenger,
who greeted them warmly.
Truly they seemed a strange and motley set of men.
Considering them as the young and stately widow Masouda
moved from one to the other, talking to each in turn
while she attended to their wants, it came into Godwin’s
mind that they might be spies meeting there to gain
or exchange information, or even to make report to
their hostess, in whose pay perhaps they were.
Still if so, of this they showed no sign. Indeed,
for the most part they spoke in French, which all
of them understood, on general matters, such as the
heat of the weather, the price of transport animals
or merchandise, and the cities whither they purposed
to travel.
The trader Thomas, it appeared, had intended to start
for Jerusalem that morning with his goods. But
the riding mule he had bought proved to be lame from
a prick in the hoof, nor were all his hired camels
come down from the mountains, so that he must wait
a few days, or so he said.
Under these circumstances, he offered the brethren
his company in their ramblings about the town.
This they thought it wise not to refuse, although
they felt little confidence in the man, believing
that it was he who had found out their story and true
names and revealed them to Masouda, either through
talkativeness or with a purpose.
However these things might be, this Thomas proved
of service to them, since, although he was but just
landed, he seemed to know all that had passed in Syria
since he left it, and all that was passing then.
Thus he told them how Guy of Lusignan had just made
himself king in Jerusalem on the death of the child
Baldwin, and how Raymond of Tripoli refused to acknowledge
him and was about to be besieged in Tiberias.
How Saladin also was gathering a great host at Damascus
to make war upon the Christians, and many other things,
false and true.
In his company, then, and sometimes in that of the
other guests— none of whom showed any curiosity
concerning them, though whether this was from good
manners or for other reasons they could not be sure—the
brethren passed the hours profitably enough.
It was on the third morning of their stay that their
hostess Masouda, with whom as yet they had no further
private talk, asked them if they had not said that
they wished to buy horses. On their answering
“Yes,” she added that she had told a certain
man to bring two for them to look at, which were now
in the stable beyond the garden. Thither they
went, accompanied by Masouda, to find a grave Arab,
wrapped in a garment of camel’s hair and carrying
a spear in his hand, standing at the door of the cave
which served the purpose of a stable, as is common
in the East where the heat is so great. As they
advanced towards him, Masouda said:
