Gabrielle was about to express her joy at this intelligence, when suddenly there appeared before the two ladies, who knew not from whence he had come, a strange man in a slave’s dress, seemingly young in years, with dark-gleaming eyes, and a pleasant smile on his countenance. He approached them respectfully, and bowed, not after the Arabian, but the European manner. “Who art thou?” cried Gabrielle; “have some spells of enchantment brought thee to this place, or art thou aware, that, on being discovered in our company, you cannot escape destruction?” “Allow me,” said the stranger, “to answer your third question in the first place. I am not ignorant, most beautiful ladies, of the danger which here awaits me, nor so rash as to throw myself in its way, did I not think myself tolerably sure that I can be defended against it. But you ask if I have used enchantment to make my way hither, and I answer no;--I have only removed some of the golden bars of the trellis-work, which I carefully filed asunder, and then replaced so neatly that no one could perceive what had been done. As to your first demand, who I am, my answer is of little import. My name is Theobaldo,--I am an Italian merchant, and had the happiness to be in the train of the young Knight of Trautwangen, when, on that pleasant evening, at the castle of Montfaucon, the Lady Blanchefleur sang the ballad of Abelard and Heloise with the minstrel, Aleard. Thereafter I went with the Count Alessandro de Vinciguerra, intending along with him to join the army of King Richard Cœur de Lion in the Holy Land; but not far from Naples we were taken prisoners by two Arabian galleys, and at length were brought hither as slaves in Carthagena. But, to conclude, I now consider it far more my duty to serve and assist two beautiful young ladies, than an old graybearded master; and for this purpose, I have made my way hither into the garden.” The two damsels looked at him with astonishment, gradually recalling in their minds his features, which before they had scarcely noticed; while Theobaldo kindly explained to them, how he had entered into an agreement with the minstrel Aleard, to rescue them from their present captivity; and that they would all, including the Count de Vinciguerra, make their escape together. At the close of his discourse, however, he said to their great surprise what here follows:--